The Prince Who Stayed Determined
by AMS-Topaz
Summary: Frisk finally found a way to free the monsters, but due to the humans' response they were forced to live behind their own magical barrier in the forest 10 miles away from Gravity Falls. A hybrid was born and is the monsters' new Prince as well as their new hope. The Prince must stay determined if he is to ever truly free the monsters. CERTAIN CHAPTERS ON WATTPAD. U.N: Amsteuer21
1. Prologue

AMS

PROLOGUE

This is a story that will continue after The Human Who Stayed Underground. This story, however, is no longer focused on Frisk and Sans. It is, on the other hand, focused on their son. But before we jump into their son's story, allow me to fill in the gaps. Shortly after Frisk absorbed Toriel's soul, reignited the other human souls' determination, reconnected with an alternate version of her family, and broke the barrier, humans didn't really take well to seeing monsters on the surface. Mainly because Frisk came from Gravity Falls. While Gravity Falls normally welcomes the weird, times have changed since Mabel and Dipper grew up. By the time Mabel had Frisk, Gravity Falls, for the most part, got rid of anything weird and out of the ordinary. This caused Soos' Mystery Shack to go out of business. People just weren't into weirdness anymore. Frisk expected some friction, but didn't know how to deal with how some of the people came out of their homes with pitchforks, torches, and other weapons. Frisk had unknowingly caused many elderly to have heart attacks. Last we knew of the monsters and Frisk, was that they were living in a forest that is 10 miles away from Gravity Falls. Far enough away but not too far so Frisk can continue to visit her family and think of a way to make Gravity Falls weird again. She kept a journal and started writing in it. She read her journal from page 1 to where she currently was to see if she could find any cues, but became frustrated when she couldn't find anything significant. Sans often did his best to be supportive and encourage her to not give up. He was sad for Frisk that she couldn't see that the monsters were just happy to be on the surface. Undyne was sitting on top of her new home, built by Frisk's knowledge and Sans' magic, and looked out over the forest and looked at the town.

"Why can't the humans just accept us? Frisk was able to accept us. She's even our Queen now. Shouldn't that have made the humans less scared of us?" Undyne spoke out to no one in particular.

She was tempted to punch the roof she was sitting on, but didn't for fear of putting another hole in it. Undyne sighed and sat her head in her lap. The one thing that kept her and the other monsters going was the beautiful sight of the world they got when they climbed on top of their houses. They knew they were safe where they were at because of a force field the monsters made together that goes all the way around their forest. It was a huge forest, and it was barely big enough for all the monsters that came from underground.

Fuku, Brent, Naomi, and Fuku's son Kent came over. It's been a couple years since they have been above ground, but everyone worries for Frisk. Whenever they see her, she looks tired, worried, paranoid, and usually has her face stuffed in her journals. She would mutter constantly. Everyone decided they would talk to her.

"Your majesty, we just think you should let it go. The humans may never accept us, but we have accepted that fact. We need and want you to be happy that all of us are finally free," said Jock.

Frisk yawned and blinked. Then she looked kind of agitated.

"But if you think about it, you're not really free yet! You are all confined behind the force field around this whole forest. But there's more to the world than this forest! There are other mountains to discover, caves to explore, people to meet, concerts to go to, and new anime being made all the time! Plus, none of you had the chance to even try human food yet. I can't buy any because everytime I go to a store to buy something for you all to try, the store clerk asks me if I'm still your Queen, and of course I say I am, and they turn me away! I don't understand why I can accept you all, and they can't!" shouted Frisk.

"Honey, we know you want more for us, and being behind another barrier sucks and all, but we are on the surface. That's all we ever wanted. We don't care if it's here in this forest, it's still a lot bigger than the underground was. The only reason why it barely contains all of us now is because in the couple years above ground, monsters have been having kids like crazy. We are contented," said Sans.

"The fact that you're all okay with humanity pushing you behind your own barrier pisses me off! Mark my words. I will find a way to make sure no barrier keeps you behind your dreams!" shouted Frisk.

Then she stormed off to her home. A few more years have passed, and then, Frisk missed her period. She was freaking out.

"No. I can't be pregnant. If I am, I'll have to give up entirely on freeing them just to raise a child!" freaked out Frisk.

She ran out of the bathroom and cried into Sans' jacket. He was shocked and held her tight.

"What's wrong?" asked Sans.

He ran his bony fingers through her soft hair as she cried and yawned at the same time.

"I...a..m...preg...na...nt," sobbed and shook Frisk.

Sans' eyes widened and looked down at her. From that day forward, Sans hid all of her journals, hid away her conspiracy theories, and practically forced Frisk to rest and take it easy. He even had to feed her since she was so depressed and unwilling to get out of bed. Each month she got a little better. By the ninth month the bags under her eyes fully disappeared and they turned the forest into an actual city, filled with shops, hotels, malls on one portion of the forest, while the other side was filled with apartment complexes and multi-story houses so that way there won't be so many homes for all the monsters. Right now, there were just too many monsters for anyone to have their own home by themselves. Frisk and Sans were no exception.

"Welcome to our home, your majesties!" welcomed Undyne.

Alphys, Jock, and Papyrus were living there as well. Frisk's belly looked like it was about to pop at any second.

"When are you due, Queen?" asked Jock.

Frisk cringed.

"Y'know, I would prefer it if you called me Frisk. We're room mates now, we went to school together, heck, my husband was our teacher!" said Frisk.

Jock scratched his chin.

"So, I won't get in trouble for calling you by your first name?" asked Jock.

"Of course not. I know I'm the Queen, but I want to be treated like I'm still Frisk," responded Frisk.

"Fair enough. So, when you due, Frisk?" asked Jock.

"According to my calculations, she will be giving birth in a couple days," said Alphys.

Frisk felt a little uncomfortable around Alphys, but Undyne seemed to be fine around him, so she was going to give him a second chance. But, she was in no way going to drop her guard so soon. In the couple days that followed, Frisk gave birth to a half human half monster hyrbid boy. He looked human, but it was evident he had both Frisk and Sans' powers. He had determination up the wazoo, could make things levitate, and could summon bones. The only thing that would make it obvious he's a hybrid on looks alone would be his hair color. But Frisk remembered her mother's old friend, Gideon , and how he had white hair. Wanting to keep her son safe, she told everyone to make sure he doesn't slip past the force field at all costs, to which they all bowed and promised their Queen they would protect her son with their life.


	2. Meet Franley

AMS

MEET FRANLEY

Franley snuck around the corner of the mall, and smirked.

"There's no way she's going to be able to resist me," Franley chucked to himself.

As any 12 year old boy, Franley is as hormonal as they get. Even more so with him being half human. He had his looks going for him as well. He had extremely light and sharp blue eyes, so light they're almost white, and his hair is white with brown tips. He dyed the tips of his hair brown so he could have some of his mother's hair color. He was jealous of his mother's hair. It was so soft and the color of chocolate. He loved chocolate. His skin was a soft peach color, being a mixture of his mom's yellow skin and Sans'...bone color. His everyday clothing was wearing a blue and red striped t shirt, black shorts, and black tennis shoes with dark blue socks.

"Franley!"

"Wa!" shouted Franley.

He turned around in an instant and saw Chara's spirit. Chara looked extremely mischevious, and doesn't look a day older than 16.

"Uncle Chara, what are you doing here? Don't distract me, I have to keep an eye out for...her," said Franley.

Then there she was. The girl of every monster boy dreams. Sandy Vine. She was a monster who can turn herself into sand and move fluidly. Her hair was a soft sandy color, her skin was a paler version of her hair color, her eyes were completely black with thick eyelashes, she had no nose but had full red pouty lips, and wore a shimmering short pink dress with shimmering heels. Franley almost melted when he saw her and almost forgot to go up to her. Taking a deep breath, he puffed out his chest and walked forward.

"Hey, Sandy!" said Franley in a fake deep voice.

Sandy scrunched up her nose in disgust. Compared to her, he looked so plain. Sandy doesn't like anything she thinks is plain looking.

"Oh. You're like, the Queen and King's son, right? You're half human or something?" asked Sandy as she took out her compact mirror and re applied her chapstick.

Franley's hand reached the back of his head, which he immediately regretted seeing as his armpits were soaked through his shirt, so he quickly put his arm back down.

"Well-" he squeaked.

Sandy raised an eyebrow, and he cleared his throat. His hair was starting to stick to his forehead he was so nervous.

"Essentially, yes. I am the Prince of all monsters. But you can just call me," he spun around and snapped his fingers at her, then flipped his hair which accidentally flecked some sweat at her which she recoiled, "Franley. Last name, Dreemurr, which is appropriate since after today I'll be in your dreams."

Sandy brushed off his sweat off her in disgust.

"Yeah see, you would have been able to woo me or whatever, if your weird half human body didn't produce smelly liquids all the time. Plus, you're obviously unable to match my shimmering style," said Sandy.

Franley's face fell.

"B-b-but I'm the Prince. Doesn't that entice you? At all?" asked Franley.

"You may be the Prince, but you're still a kid like the rest of us, and to top it all off, you're more awkward than the fact you're a hybrid. You're not a monster, and you're not a human. You're both. And that's weird, awkward, and you should be embarrassed of yourself, _prince_ ," snarled Sandy.

She put away her compact mirror and chapstick.

"And now, because of you, I have to go back home to take a shower, and burn my clothes. I haven't even gotten the chance to go shopping yet. So thank you for ruining my morning," frowned Sandy.

Sandy left to go back home. Franley sighed sadly and sat down on the edge of the fountain that was outside the mall and put his head in his hands. Chara appeared next to him and put a hand on his back.

"I don't want your pity. It's just...hard for me right now. I want to be one species or the other. I could live with just being a monster, I could live with just being a human. But I'm both and it's a curse like no other. I have magic abilities which is great, and a crap ton of determination that allows me to change fate and defy death itself. But what good is all that if my own body betrays me and scares off girls? I barely have any friends, and the ones I do have are rejects themselves," sniffed Franley.

Chara sighed.

"I may not understand being a hybrid since when I was alive, I was just a human boy. Franley, no one will ever understand what you're going through, because you're the only human monster hybrid that was ever conceived. But what I do understand is being a reject. I was a reject among the humans, and my best friend was a reject. He and I couldn't hang out at the park without being bullied by the cool kids. So we hung out indoors and played video games. I made a dumb decision to try and kill myself. It wouldn't have been a dumb idea if I fell into the underground with the intention of living among the monsters. Before your mother and any other human, I was the first human to become a prince among monsters by being adopted into the royal family. Their son, Asriel, was going to inherit the throne by default, but if anything happened to him, I would have been the one to assume the throne. But, they weren't prepared for the plan I had conjured up to try and free them all. I killed myself so Asriel could absorb my soul, and then attack the humans. He thought we were just going to get six human souls, whereas I wanted to kill them all for hurting me and my friend as much as they did. So, Asriel overrode the fusion, and we stumbled back underground and died together. Now, do you think you could ever relate to my story?" asked Chara.

Franley's mouth was practically on the ground. He had never heard Chara's story before. He knew Chara died young somehow, and somehow knew the previous King, Queen, and Prince. But he had never known that Chara legit used to be a Prince among the monsters.

"No. I cannot relate to your story, because it's so different from mine," choked out Franley.

"Exactly. Even if you were just a monster, chances are Sandy would have had another excuse not to go out with you because she's a superficial turkey. But you know what? Everyone having unique stories, each being so different from another, is what makes life and getting to know people so interesting. You take a look at someone, and you wonder who they are and what they have been through. What life experience made them who they are today," said Chara.

"Heh, you're right. Instead of wallowing in how there is no one like me, I should be embracing that fact that I am one of a kind. Sandy is drop dead gorgeous, but she will never like me for me. Even if I went in this mall and bought shimmering clothes, she would only go out with me just because I mirror her," said Franley.

A sparkling car pulled up and Sandy walked out, wearing a shimmering short red dress and red heels. She eyed him suspiciously, flipped her hair and kept walking. Franley just snorted and started laughing at how silly he was to crush on someone like her.

"Oh man, and it's really funny because my mom warned me about girls like her," laughed Franley.

Chara was laughing with him, then suddenly yawned.

"Huh. I haven't yawned in a long time. Guess that means I gotta rest in peace for a while. If you need me, I'll be resting. If you're ever in an emergency, just shout my name in your mind and heart simultaneously and I'll be there," winked Chara.

Franley waved his uncle goodbye.

"Hehe. If you all look to your left, you will see the sweaty and awkward hybrid Prince wave to his dead human uncle," said Jock Jr.

Franley's face got red from embarrassment and anger. He quickly breathed in and out to control his anger. Being half human meant he had to deal with anger issues. A lot. Small snide comments turned his face red. He used to not be able to control his actions upon feeling anger and used to go off and hit things. During those times, Frisk and Sans would sit Franley down, give him tea, and Frisk would teach him methods in controlling his anger.

"The key, my son, is to not let anger control you. Be determined to control your feelings instead of them controlling you," Frisk had said to him.

Franley would sob as he would feel extreme guilt for his behavior.

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry, dad. Please forgive me," sobbed Franley.

Sans had grabbed his chin and smiled softly at him.

"We already forgave you. Now it's time for you to forgive yourself. We love you, Franley. Nothing is going to change that," Sans had said.

Frisk and Sans hugged their son at the same time until franley stopped shaking and fell asleep in their arms. When he had fallen asleep, they gently laid him down on his bed, tucked him in, put in his nightlight, turned off the main light, and cracked his door after pecking him a kiss on the forehead. But there were times where Frisk had almost let her emotions get out of control. Like when they were struggling to keep currency flowing among the monsters.

"We're running out of gold, Sans! And I can't get a job in the Gravity Falls because they won't even let me shop at their stores! How are we supposed to survive and help business thrive?" Frisk shouted.

Franley was sitting on the end of the staircase, fearfully listening to his mother freak out. She wasn't angry, but she was frantic and losing her wits. Sans gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're the King and Queen. We can turn anything into currency. All we gotta do is find what's abundant in the forest, and use it as currency. Heck, we could even create our own currency," said Sans.

The image of golden flowers ran through Frisk's mind.

"I got it! In this forest are many different flowers that grow all the time, as if by magic. I'll build a greenhouse in the basement of this household and with your and Alphys' help, we can grow the currency. Yellow flowers will be used for paying for food and drinks. Blue flowers will be used for buying gas for the vehicles. Red flowers will be used for buying housewares. And purple flowers will be used for buying anything else other than those other things I listed," said Frisk.

She wrote it down on a piece of paper and hung it up on the wall. Jock, Undyne, and Alphys had walked down the stairs. During this time, Franley had gotten to know Kent, Fuku and Brent's son. Kent was sort of an outcast, but he and Franley knew each other well and got along. Franley had helped his mom and dad pick many of the different colored flowers she listed, and they all brought the flowers down to their greenhouse basement.

"To ensure they will continue to grow and not wilt, I will add some of my own magic to the yellow flowers since I have yellow magic. Sans, add your magic to the blue flowers. Frisk, add your determination to the red ones, then you and Sans will have to combine your powers for the purple ones. If my calculations are correct, this will forever preserve the original flowers planted here today and they will continue to grow more flowers, thus giving us a never ending cycle of currency," said Alphys.

Franley watched in awe as Alphys and his parents added their powers to the flowers. Frisk had to pray while touching the flowers in order to give it determination. Franley's eyes started to feel like they were warm all of a sudden. Sans had felt something, and turned around to see his son's eyes glowing a bright blue gas like magic around them. Sans was proud that day. He did not know if his son would have magical abilities since he was half human.

"Son, you have the same magic I do," Sans proudly said.

"I do? Cool!" Franley said.

Franley accidentally shot up from his seat to the ceiling and cracked his head open. Frisk screamed as blood pooled on the floor from her son's head. Then...

Sans felt something, and turned around, and saw his son again. He felt major deja vu. Then he remembered.

"Dad? What happened? I died... and now I'm back here? I'm scared," shook Franley.

Sans picked Franley up as he remembered the pool of blood mixing with dust, and he remembered Frisk's screams. Frisk hugged Franley while he was in Sans' arms, and she was crying tears of sadness of having to witness her son die a brutal death, but they were also tears of happiness that her son has the ability to save, load, and reset.

"Do you remember seeing a yellow star before you died?" asked Frisk as she wiped the tears away.

"Yeah! What was that?" asked Franley.

Still sniffling, Frisk conjured up the same yellow star, causing Franley to gasp.

"It's called a save point. You have both of our powers. My power is to save, load, reset, and also to regenerate. Regenerating comes if you experience over 100% determination upon death. Sans' power is more than just floating. Sans can make other things and people float, and he can summon bones. Though, I'm not sure if you would summon bones. Maybe you could since inside every human is a skeletal structure," said Frisk.

Franley was excited that day when he discovered he had two different powers with different abilites.

Present...

Franley walked in the mall. He decided he was going to window shop, and maybe perhaps buy a few things to brighten his mood. His mood skyrocketed when, upon stepping inside the gaming store (every game and console being made by monsters), he saw Kent. Kent was 6 years older than him, so Franley felt a little special to be hanging out with someone older than him. Even if Kent was an outcast.

"Hey, dude!" said Franley.

Kent looked down over at Franley and dropped the game case he was holding.

"Franley! The fresh prince of mon-stairs," exclaimed Kent.

"Pfft, you goof," laughed Franley.

Franley picked up the game that Kent was looking at.

"Night Of The Princess Apocalypse? This is rated M? But, it's about princesses!" protested Franley.

"Uh, and the apocalypse, which has, like, dust in it. Tons of dust! I don't think I'm gonna sleep well after playing a game this gory," smiled Kent.

"You're joking right? Dust isn't gory. I know, because I died by accident. I have blood and dust! Also, because I'm half human, I have these things called organs. I remember my brain falling out when I died," said Franley nonchalantly.

"Dude. If you died...HOW ARE YOU EVEN HERE RIGHT NOW?" freaked out Kent.

Fuku, Brent, and Naomi came around the corner.

"Kent, why are you yelling so loud?" asked Fuku.

Brent had his arms crossed. Naomi glared at Kent, demanding answers as well. Then they all noticed Franley.

"Oh, hey Franley! How are you and your parents doing?" asked Fuku, suddenly all cheerful.

"Hey, Mr. and . Hello, . I'm doing...okay? Just, learning how to deal with being half human and half monster. It's...weird and awkward sometimes. All the time. My mom and dad are doing great. They're as happy and supportive as ever. I just wonder how my mom does it. She's human, so I know she sweats too. What I don't get is how is she so flawless about her human functions," blurted out Franley.

These were his parents' friends, and he considered them family, so he was okay with sharing his feelings with them.

"Never mind that! Mom, dad, Aunt Naomi, Franley told me he died before! But, he's right here!" whisper shouted Kent.

Their eyes got wide and they looked at Franley.

"You mean, that power is transferable?" asked Naomi as she grabbed Franley's shoulders.

"That power? You mean, my mom's determination based power? I-I guess so. I'm able to save, load, and reset. Although I haven't reset, which, I don't even know what would happen if I did. Maybe I would be brought back to the day I was born?" answered Franley.

"Show us. Prove you can save," said Fuku.

Franley had been practicing his determination based power with his mom, just as he practiced his magic based power with his dad ever since the day they found out he had these abilities, so he knows how to summon the star to save at will now, just as he has a better hold on his magic based power to not let himself fly up involuntarily. Franley extended his hand out and concentrated. He wishes he had better control of his powers since everytime he summons the star, he ends up out of breath almost. After almost being out of breath, the yellow star showed up in front of his hand. He caught his breath, tapped the star and a box with dialog appeared. It said:

Franley LV.1

Save Return

He pressed the save option. The text turned yellow as it now read "File 1 saved". He always furrowed his brows at that part. He remembers asking his mom about it.

"Mom, why does it say file 1? Is it possible to have another file? Like, let's say I save at a point, but then I want to save at another point in time, but don't want to lose the first save just in case I mess up and don't want to have to reset?"

"Well," Frisk was scratching her head in search for answers, "I'm not sure why it says file 1. It just does. Maybe it's something you might be able to figure out one day and surpass me."

Frisk had rubbed his hair affectionately. That was 2 years ago during one of their training exercises. After that day, he had dyed his tips brown with actual permanent dye. Alphys had made him hair dye that never fades or goes away. When he got a hair trim from Mettaton EX, the brown tips reappeared magically. He smiled, fully knowing he will forever have brown tipped white hair. It really complimented his blue eyes and peach skin.

"Hey mom, can I please get this game? I promise I won't have nightmares. Even if I do, I won't complain about them," asked Kent.

Franley almost forgot that Kent is still technically a kid. He was only 18, and he still lived with his parents. Frisk and Sans made a rule that 18 is still a kid. You're not considered an adult until you are 21.

"A princess apocalypse game? Rated M? Honey, this is far too gory! There's dust everywhere in these pictures," said Fuku.

"It's not real though! It's not like I'll be gaining LOVE by killing NPCs," fired back Kent.

Brent looked at it, and he remembered when he witnessed Frisk killing Underfell Sans, and how he had turned to dust in front of his eyes. He shook his head to clear the image.

"Son, I once saw a man get turned to dust in real life, so I personally would never play a game like this. But, I don't want you to not be happy. So, as long as your mother says it's ok, you can get it. But, if she does let you get it, please wear your headset so I don't have to hear the sound effects," said Brent.

Normally in couples, if one parent says their kid can have what they want and the other disagrees, it causes arguments within the couple. Not for Fuku and Brent though. Fuku and Brent know each other to have different views on things, but they respect each other's differences and say things like "if the other parent says they agree with me, go ahead. But if they don't, then you'll have to live without it."

Fuku thought about it before making up her mind.

"You can have the game, but remember not to do this in real life. Once you take a life, there's no going back," said Fuku.

"Geez mom, I'm not a psycho," said Kent as he took the game from her.

"Just making sure," smiled Fuku.

The adults gave him some money to pay for the game with, and then they left to go to the food court. Kent sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Man, parents. My dad's cool as heck, it's just my mom that isn't as cool. She was this time, but most of the time, she has a stick up her butt or something and she's just a total bummer," said Kent.

"Sorry man, I can't really relate. My parents seem to get me," Franley shrugged his shoulders.

Kent looked at Franley and laughed.

"Yeah, when I was your age, my mom got me too. Just wait until you turn 13. That's when things will change. The older you get, the more they will try to control you, I guarantee it. And even if you go home tonight and talk to them about it, of course they're going to hug you and promise they won't be like that, but end up becoming like that anyway. I know because my mom did the same thing," said Kent.

Franley became nervous, but was suddenly filled with the determination to get through those dark times ahead of him. From another aisle, Janet, Temmie's daughter, eyed Franley and sighed.

"Gosh, he's so perfect! He's handsome, he's a prince, and he's only a year older than me! I don't understand why other girls haven't tried asking him out. Who cares if he has fluids that smell weird? He can't help that!" thought Janet to herself.

During her staring session, Sandy came over.

"Sis, what are you doing?" asked Sandy as she took out her compact mirror.

Blushing, Janet pulled away from the shelf too quickly and accidentally bumped her head on the top shelf.

"Uh, hey sis! I wasn't doing anything! I was just...looking for a game to play!" said Janet.

Sandy raised an eyebrow. They're not blood related sisters. Janet's mom, Temmie, married Sandy's dad. Sandy looked over in the aisle that was after the one they were in and saw Kent and Franley.

"Okay, she was obviously checking one of the losers out. I love my sis too much to let her settle for someone like either of those two weirdos. Franley is a weird hybrid that releases stinky fluids, and Kent is...Kent," thought Sandy.

Sandy put her arm around her sister's shoulders and led her away from the store.

"Okay, Janet. Spill. Which one were you looking at?" asked Sandy.

Janet's face got even redder.

"How'd you know?"

"I know my little sister."

"I was looking at the Prince," bashfully said Janet.

"I'm gonna tell you something. You're way too cute and too much my sister to be going out with losers. You're way out of Franley's league. He doesn't deserve you. Why not go for someone who is in your league? Someone like Jock Jr. But don't go for Jock Jr. because I like him," said Sandy.

Janet thought of an image where she was going out with a muscular monster like Jock Jr and internally shuddered. It just wasn't for her.

"Franley isn't a loser. I mean, he can't help the liquid he produces. It's part of his human half. Franley is nice, sincere, determined, and he's a Prince. Part of my dream is to go out with a Prince," said Janet.

Sandy scowled and grabbed Janet's arm roughly, causing her to yelp.

"If you go out with any of those losers, I will disown you," threatened Sandy.

Janet was near tears.

"Got it?" asked Sandy through clenched teeth.

Janet whimpered and nodded with her eyes shut tightly. Sandy let go and Janet rubbed her arm. Then, Sandy hugged Janet.

"I'm only like that because I care about you. I love you and want what's best for you," said Sandy.

Janet hugged her back.

"I know, sis. Thank you," said Janet as a couple tears fell.

Sandy smirked behind Janet's back. She was going to ruin Franley by making him miss out on any girl that she sees has a crush on him for getting her dirty that morning. They pulled away from the hug, and Sandy smiled sadly at Janet and wiped her tears away.

"I got an idea. Let me buy you some make up and give you a total makeover," said Sandy.

Janet wasn't one for makeup, but knew there was no changing Sandy's mind. Before she could even say anything Sandy pulled her along.


	3. Past The Barrier

AMS

PAST THE BARRIER

"Dude, there was like, sooo much dust! The game is awesome, you should play it with me sometime, if you're not chicken!" laughed Kent over the phone.

Franley rolled his eyes.

"I still don't get how you monsters find dust so gory. It's. Just. Dust," said Franley.

"I'm surprised you don't! You are half monster after all. What's it like anyway? To be half blood, half dust," asked Kent.

"It's, errr, different. Kinda lonely sometimes when you lay awake at night and just remember that you're the only human monster hybrid alive," said Franley in a tone that progressively got sad with each word.

"Aw, sorry man. But you shouldn't be so lonely. You got me and Paul! Good ol Paul, amiright?" said Kent.

Franley laughed.

"Yeah. Good ol Paul. Thanks, Kent, for reminding me I got you guys," smiled Franley.

"Franley? Who are you talking to?" asked Frisk as she came into the kitchen and started working on dinner.

"Mom, why are you starting dinner when it's like, 10 in the morning?" asked Franley.

"I always start this early! It takes hours to make the dinners I make," said Frisk smiling.

"Oh. Well, I'm just talking to Kent," said Franley.

"How is he lately?" chirped Frisk.

"He's fine I guess," said Franley.

"Hey dude, I heard from the grapevine that someone spotted something weird near the barrier. Me and Paul were gonna go check it out. You wanna come with?" asked Kent.

"Finally! Some excitement around here. Count me in. When you guys going?" asked Franley.

"Right after we eat lunch. Meet us at the mall at 1. See ya man!" said Kent.

The phone clicked, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Something exciting happening?" asked Frisk.

Franley jumped. He completely forgot his mom was still in the kitchen, preparing dinner. He spun around and laughed.

"Haha, yeah! Kent and Paul want me to hang out with them at the mall after lunch. Is that ok?" asked Franley.

Frisk stopped moving and was silent. She could sense in her son's voice that he was telling a half truth.

"Do you want to elaborate on that, dear?" asked Frisk as she stayed still and still faced towards the counter.

Franley gulped, and his hair started sticking to his forehead from immense perspiration.

"Curse this half human body!" thought Franley.

"Well, maybe afterwards, we were gonna go back to Kent's place to play his new game," lied Franley.

"Is that so? Why do you sound so nervous?" pressed Frisk.

"The truth is...the game he has is gory. And I was going to...play it without asking for your permission first. I'm sorry, mom. Can I please play his new game with him?" lied Franley.

Frisk's smile returned and she turned to face her son.

"Is that really all it is that has you so worried? I'm touched you're scared of disobeying me and your father. It shows you're so smart. As long as you know not to kill in real life, I don't mind you playing scary games with your friend. Be sure to ask your father's permission though. If he agrees, then you can for sure. But, if he says no, then he and I will discuss it further and decide whether or not you can play scary games. So, it has a lot of blood and guts in it huh?" Frisk shuddered on the last sentence.

"No, it's much scarier than that! It has dust in it galore," Franley faked his enthusiasm.

Frisk cocked an eyebrow and looked at Franley.

"Dust? Gory?" asked Frisk.

"Yeah. You can tell it's bad," nervously smiled Franley.

Frisk laughed.

"If that's what you find so scary, then I REALLY don't mind," laughed Frisk.

She remembered when she had killed monsters before, how they just turned to dust. Even then, it was so anticlimactic for her. She didn't really feel the consequences for what she had done until facing Sans. She looked at where her son had been standing.

"Be better than me. Please," whispered Frisk.

Franley walked into the living room to see what was on TV, when he saw Alphys, Undyne, and Papyrus sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Prince Franley! Would you like to sit down on the couch?" asked Papyrus.

"You're much taller than me, so could I just sit in your lap so that way I don't have to make you move?" asked Franley.

"Sure!"

Franley climbed into his uncle Papyrus' lap and got comfortable. They were watching one of Mettaton's sitcoms. He inwardly groaned. He loved seeing Mettaton's newly made comedies, but not these old reruns of her old shows. Especially since she had major character development and acts a lot better on and off the screen.

"Chara, I need your help," Frisk thought with her heart and mind.

In a matter of seconds, Chara appeared in front of Frisk.

"What is it, Frisk?" asked Chara.

Frisk looked around, then motioned for Chara to come closer and listen well.

"Franley is going to go hang out with his friends around 1. He thinks a game filled with dust is gory, but that makes no sense since anyone who is human or has some type of human physicality would think blood and guts is gory. Maybe I'm just overthinking it and he may really think dust is gory since he is half monster, but I just have a funny feeling. Please watch over him today for me since I can't go and see for myself. If it looks like he is going to get into trouble, please, come get me or Sans," whispered Frisk.

"I got ya, Frisk. You can count on me," whispered Chara.

"Frisk? Can I talk to you about the whole, using flowers as currency thing? A lot of monsters are saying the size of currency is troublesome. What can we do to make it better?" asked Alphys.

Frisk thought about it, then slapped her forehead in irritation with herself for not thinking of it before.

"Let's just use the petals as currency!" said Frisk.

Alphys had the same forehead slapping moment. Then they both laughed.

"Thank you, Frisk. I'll go spread the word," thanked Alphys.

Sans came into the kitchen, came up behind Frisk, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began smooching her cheek and biting her ear.

"Haha hey! I'm trying to work on dinner," giggled Frisk.

"Mmmm, I like what I have in my arms for dinner," said Sans.

"Oh, did Franley talk to you?" asked Frisk.

"He did. He asked me if he could play a gory game. It has lots of dust in it. At first, I was scared it might give him nightmares, but, he's so determined, that I think he would have found a loop hole around us saying no anyway. Might as well let kids be kids," said Sans.

Frisk nodded in agreement.

"Is it bad that I don't think dust is gory?" laughed Frisk.

Sans thought about it while resting his skull on the top of her head.

"No. It's not bad. Your anatomy is different from a monster's, so to you, gory would be blood and guts," thoughtfully said Sans.

Frisk put down the knife she was using to chop carrots and turned around in Sans' arms, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He playfully smirked at her, and she smiled endearingly at him.

"Remember when you used to be my teacher? And my guardian?" teased Frisk.

Sans blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah. And now I'm your husband and we have an ornery son," replied Sans.

"Hahaha! He's ornery because of your side of the family," teased Frisk.

"Oh-ho-ho no! He's ornery because he inherited your determination!" laughed Sans.

They laughed together as they brought each other in for a tickle fight. From the living room, Franley and the others could hear Sans and Frisk laughing. Franley smiled at that.

"Sounds like they really love each other still. Man, it's been what? Over ten years since they got married? And they're still so much in love. I envy them," smiled Undyne.

"Do you think I'll ever be as lucky as them?" asked Franley.

Undyne smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Kid, I like you. So, naturally, I'm going to be brutally honest with you. I could tell you that no matter what you definitely will, but my parents gave me false hope when I was a kid and it crushed me when reality hit. You might get as lucky as them. Real, true love like that is rare. There are more superficial monsters and people now than there ever were, and it's all thanks to technology advancing. Also, being on the surface and being exposed to what the adults had to fight for made the newer generations take it for granted. The adults are the more humbled since we grew up in the underground. Oh, shoot. You didn't know about how monsters were in the underground for so long, huh?" asked Undyne.

Franley got stars in his eyes and shook his head no, signaling for her to continue.

"You gotta be with your friends at 1, and right now it's only 11. We got time for a small portion of the story. It's a really long story, so it might take days to finish telling. You sure you wanna know?" asked Undyne.

"Yes, please," said Franley as he scooped some of Papyrus' spaghetti flavored popcorn.

"Alright. Humans and monsters used to live together on the surface a long time ago, before I was born. What I'm telling you right now, is what monsters my age learned in school underground. Monster souls don't last after death, as we instantly turn into dust. Our bodies cannot hold determination without melting and falling apart. Human souls persist after death, however, which would make it easy for a monster to absorb the human soul and transform into a being with incredible power. Although, as your mother has shown, no physical or magical changes take place when a human absorbs a boss monster soul. A boss monster's soul can persist after death, but just for a small amount of time. The humans feared us because of this and attacked the monsters with everything they had. Humans are naturally more powerful than monsters, so it was a one sided war as countless monsters were turned to dust and not one human was killed. During that time, there were seven humans who had magical abilities. The monsters surrendered to the humans, and the humans forced the monsters underground and sealed them under with a magic spell. They had created a barrier that could only be shattered with seven human souls. But, what we all found out too little too late was a monster and human soul could go through the barrier, but it won't break it. Anyway, that's how it was for a long time. There were only a handful of monsters left, so they started mass producing monster children. When more and more monsters were born, they decided to leave the Ruins and live in other parts of the underground. The underground wasn't as big as this forest, but there were different areas with different climates. There was Snowdin, a town with ice and snow. There was Waterfall, a watery area where I used to live. And then there was Hotland, which was an area surrounded by lava. Oh! Looks like it's almost 1. We'll end the story there for now," said Undyne.

Franley looked so sad for them.

"I'm so sorry the humans did that to you all. If it's any consolation, the underground sounds like it was beautiful," said Franley.

Undyne smiled.

"It was, but after a while, you get tired of seeing the same places," said Undyne.

Then, she thought about what Frisk had said about them all still not being truly free. And then she realized that for years to come, the monsters will get weary and depressed again and no longer find the forest city's charms charming anymore.

"Undyne, I kind of miss Snowdin. Is it weird that I actually miss the underground?" asked Papyrus.

"I think the reason why you miss it is because you grew up underground. It's ok, because I kind of miss my home in Waterfall too. I was born and raised underground. You're going to have some feelings for the place you're from, no matter how bad it was in reality," said Undyne.

Franley ran to the kitchen.

"So, mom, dad, can I go?" asked Franley as he reached for his coat.

"Your dad agreed, so yes, you can go and have fun," smiled Frisk.

Franley hugged his mom and dad, then ran out the door. It took a couple minutes, but when his determination spiked and he made himself a little bit lighter, he made it to the mall rather quickly. When he got there, he looked around for Kent or Paul. But all he could see were other monsters walking in and out of the mall, most of them nodded and greeted their Prince, while other younger monsters took his existence for granted. Just like they took the fresh air for granted. After hearing just the beginning of the history of monsters, Franley felt disgusted in humans, as well as the younger generation for taking everything for granted. They didn't know what their parents had to endure. He was determined to learn the story and spread it throughout his kingdom. He was going to make sure the kids respected their parents and what they now have.

"Dude! Over here!" called Kent.

Franley looked over to the far end of the building, and there was Kent and Paul. Standing by and waving him over. Chuckling, he ran over to them.

"So, what do you guys think it was that was spotted near the barrier?" asked Franley.

"It looked a little like you, but we're not too sure. That's why we knew we had to call and tell you about it," said Paul excitedly.

Paul was Monster Kid's son. So he was armless.

"D-do you guys think, it might be another hybrid? I might not be the only one?" asked Franley.

"Well, we're not sure. But if it is another hybrid, that would be whack! In a good way," said Kent.

"Just tell me what direction we're going, and I can make us all lighter and get us there faster," said Franley, cracking his knuckles.

"You sure you got a better control of your magic?" asked Paul.

"Oh yeah. I used it to get to the mall so quickly," cockily said Franley.

Kent and Paul smiled at each other.

"Yes dude! Make us fly!" shouted Kent and Paul at the same time.

Franley concentrated, and soon his eyes were glowing a brighter blue. A blue energy surrounded him and his friends and they flew into the air.

"Okay, now point where to go," said Franley, proud of himself for getting the hang of his powers.

"That way, dude!" pointed Kent.

Franley flew them there, and during their flight, Kent and Paul couldn't stop laughing and high fiving each other. When Franley let them down and the energy disappeared, Franley fell onto the ground breathing heavily.

"That was awesome! You ok dude?" asked Paul.

Franley was sweating heavily and was breathing heavy.

"I'll be okay. I just, don't quite have a masterful grip on it yet. Dad told me...my body should get used to using magic soon as long as I keep practicing. Same as how if I keep practicing saving, I'll get a hang on that power as well. I just need to catch my breath," wheezed Franley.

"Here, man. Have my apple juice. It should replenish your energy," said Kent.

He unzipped his backpack, took out the apple juice, put the straw through it, lifted Franley's head up, and told him to sip on it. When Franley got done drinking the juice, he felt much better.

"Franley, I heard you tried to ask out Sandy, and that straight afterwards, you had a conversation with your dead uncle in public. Is that true?" asked Kent.

Franley turned red.

"So what if it is? Sandy's a... female dog anyway. I don't need her," huffed Franley.

"Whoa, dude. You shouldn't call her that! Especially not since the Royal Guard has an actual female dog in it," said Paul.

"The Royal Guard's a joke! All they do is protect me and my family. But from what? There's nothing out here to protect us from! They even let my goofy uncle Papyrus into the guard just so he would feel better about himself. That tells me that it's practically a joke being royalty. I mean look at us! No one respects us when they should," complained Franley.

"I-it's not a joke, Franley. Yeah, you're the Prince, but, unfortunately, everyone else sees you as their peer who is more awkward than most. But hey, we're awkward too. At least we appreciate being the Prince's best friends in the whole wide world!" smiled Kent as he put his arm around Franley's shoulders and waved his arm around.

Franley couldn't help but snort.

"Uh dudes? Check this out!" called Paul.

Kent and Franley ran to where Paul called from, and soon stopped dead in their tracks. There was someone who was asleep near the river, and this someone looked like a human. Franley took a deep breath, told his friends to hide but to stay close by. They nodded and hid behind trees nearby as Franley tip toed towards the stranger and poked them. The person slowly opened their eyes.

"WAAAAA! DON'T HURT ME!" shrieked the human.

Their voice was high pitched. Franley then noticed the human's curves.

"A-are you a girl? Are you a human girl?" asked Franley, curious.

"Of course I am! Are you trying to say I look like a guy?" defensively asked the girl.

"Oh. Sorry. What are you doing here?" asked Franley.

He then just noticed how beautiful she really is. She had long, flowing red hair, her eyes a perfect emerald hue, her skin a milky cream peach color. The only displeasing thing about her were her tattered clothes. The girl looked at Franley with furrowed eyebrows.

"I can't tell you," she shortly replied after thinking about it.

Franley sat down and scooted closer to her. She nervously scooted away a bit.

"Why not? I won't tell anyone," pleaded Franley.

She sighed and stood up.

"No. I don't know you well enough for me to tell you anything. The least you can do is show me to a store or something. I gotta make a call to get some money so I can buy some new clothes," said the girl.

Franley frowned.

"Can you at least tell me your name? My name's Franley Dreemurr. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Franley said, extending his hand.

After rolling her eyes, she took his hand and shook it. He didn't feel nervous around her for some reason.

"Wow, I'm not nervous around her! I must be getting better at my social skills," Franley triumphantly thought.

"My name's Candace Curderoy. But you can just call me Candy," said Candy.

Kent and Paul looked at each other, smiling for Franley. The two monsters ran back to town to give them privacy.

"So, a store?" asked Candy after a moment of Franley just staring at her.

"Oh! Right...How do you feel about monsters?" asked Franley.

He remembered how his mother said humans don't like monsters yet, and that her, Franley, and Chara were the only exceptions.

"Monsters? There are freaking monsters here? W-we gotta get away! Come on, kid. You're not safe here if there are monsters nearby," freaked out Candy.

She pulled him through the barrier. He was so confused right now as this human girl in rags was pulling him away from his home. He couldn't tell her he was half monster since she obviously was freaked out about them. He mentally kicked himself in the rear end.

"W-where are we going, Candy?" asked Franley.

"To Gravity Falls! It's the only nearest town I can think of where we will be protected from...my problems and the monsters," responded Candy.


	4. Welcome To Gravity Falls

AMS

WELCOME TO GRAVITY FALLS

Candy pulled him along and they were almost to the town, when Franley couldn't take it any more. He yanked his hand away roughly, causing Candy to almost fall backwards. She angrily turned around.

"What's your deal, kid? I save you from that dangerous area and this is the thanks I get?! Who raised you to act like a brat?" exploded Candy.

He took a deep breath.

"C-Candy...you should know something about me," said Franley.

Candy dropped the attitude and calmed down.

"Okay? I guess that's fair," responded Candy.

He tightly shut his eyes as he braced himself for a freak out session.

"I'm half human half monster. My mom is human and my dad is a monster, and they're the King and Queen of all monsters. That makes me the Prince and future King of all monsters," blurted out Franley.

Candy looked shocked to say the least, but it didn't last long as she punched him in the shoulder and he fell backwards onto the concrete.

"You nearly make me fall backwards for a prank?!" shouted Candy.

"Wait, I'm not joking! I can prove it!" countered Franley as he shielded himself.

"Fine! Prove it!" yelled Candy.

Franley breathed in and out to make sure he had an ample supply of oxygen, then he concentrated, and soon, his eyes were glowing. Candy took a step back slowly as she now realized he may have been telling the truth. He raised his hand which had a blue energy flowing around it, then the energy surrounded her, turning her soul blue, and he lifted her with ease. After a few seconds of her looking down nervously, he let her back down gently. When he stopped using his magic, he doubled over and started coughing.

"Y-you're...half monster?" asked Candy in a tiny voice.

All Franley could do was nod.

"Yeah. You must hate me now, right? Well, go ahead and hate me and my kingdom if you want, but monsters aren't evil. They were forced to go underground by the humans just because a monster is able to absorb a human soul. By that logic the monsters should have put the humans underground for being too OP against monster kind," said Franley as we was finally able to speak again.

Candy was speechless, and she fiddled with her fingers.

"I don't hate you," she spoke at last.

Franley snapped his head up to look at her.

"R-really? Why not? Don't all humans hate monsters?" asked Franley as he stepped closer.

Candy became self aware of how she was looking and sounding and put her hands on her hips and blew her bangs out of her face.

"It's just, you shouldn't hate someone without getting to know them first. It was wrong of me to assume monsters were bad. But, that means it would also be wrong of me to assume they're good since I don't know anything about monsters or you. Why don't we hang out sometime as soon as I get a place situated here in Gravity Falls?" asked Candy.

Franley smiled, feeling so happy that this human girl was going to give monsters and him a chance to prove their worth.

"Then, why don't you let me help you get a place? Plus, I'm pretty sure I could use my magic to help you get money or something," smiled Franley.

Candy almost smiled, but steeled her emotions.

"If you wanna help, I don't mind. But if you start complaining, just remember that you offered," said Candy.

"Of course I won't complain! I am a Prince," retorted Franley.

They finally made it to Gravity Falls, and Franley was amazed at every little thing. Everything was so worn down looking, that it fascinated him. The structures in the forest always looked brand new and shone with a radiance that took everyone's breath away. At least, that's how Franley feels about it now since he's seeing these worn down buildings everywhere.

"Wait a minute, why did the monsters make the barrier to where monsters can't leave but humans can come and go as they please? Isn't that dangerous for us?" thought Franley as he looked at Candy.

Back before Franley was born...

"We need to make a barrier surrounding the forest! Make it to where monsters cannot pass through it, but humans can. If I'm going to eventually bring monsters and humans together, I need to be able to pass through it as I see fit to go into towns and investigate things. Don't worry, I already thought of a plan to protect all of you in case a human ever comes through the barrier. If at any time you see a human who isn't me, Sans will make a shortcut that all of you will go in and hide underground until I tell Chara to find you guys and tell you it's ok to come back up. The underground will serve as a hideout for emergencies," said Frisk into a microphone on the townhall's stage in the forest.

Present...

"Hm, I'll have to ask mom about it later," thought Franley.

"Hey Candy, does this town take flower petals as money?" whispered Franley.

"What? No. Humans use dollar bills and coins as currency. Flower petals are useless to them," whispered back Candy.

"Uh, how old are you anyway? You called me kid earlier so you're older than 12 right?" asked Franley.

"I'm 9. I just call anyone who seems innocent and naive 'kid'," said Candy.

"She's got some curves for a 9 year old," thought Franley.

The two of them made it to the town hall, and they walked inside.

"Hello you two, what can I do for you?" asked a lady behind a desk.

Franley's eyes dilated. He had never seen another human other than his mom and Candy. He felt so excited to be meeting so many humans today. Back behind the barrier...

"WHAT? Franley is missing with a girl who looks like a human?!" shrieked Frisk.

Kent and Paul winced. They tried to read Sans' expression, but they had never seen him without his white pupils before. His smile was wide, but his eyes were blank.

"Off with our heads! We're so sorry!" sobbed Kent and Paul as they fell to their knees.

Alphys came downstairs, saw his secret son, and slowly went back upstairs. Frisk pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Well he couldn't have gotten far. I'm going to go look for him! You two, go home to your parents, tell them what happened and that I'll be gone for as long as it takes for me to find my son," ordered Frisk.

"Yes your majesty!" bowed the boys and they ran off, not wanting to be near the King right now.

Frisk got on her bike and pedaled as fast as she could, which was about 10 mph. So in an hour, she will reach Gravity Falls.

"Hello, ma'am. I need a job. Is there anywhere that's hiring?" asked Candy.

"Ooh let me just check my computer sweetie, hmmm, looks like there's nothing," said the lady.

Without trying to, Franley froze time, and a lone spotlight was on him. He looked around, feeling confused. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked around the lady's desk and looked at her computer.

"Tsk. She didn't even look!" grumbled Franley.

Not knowing how much longer he had until time resumed, he pushed the lady in her swivel chair aside and looked himself. He scrolled through a list until he found some openings that Candy could go for. He made mental notes, exited out from the browser, and put the lady back. He was going to just leave her as she was, but he was still feeling some type of way for her lying. So he stuck one finger in her nose, put another one of her fingers on the same hand in her mouth, and then put a finger from her other hand in her ear. About to go back around again, he stopped, shrugged and messed up her hair and marked under her eyes with black permanent marker. Laughing, he walked back over to the other side where Candy was standing. He smoothed out her rags, and stared into her emerald eyes.

"So pretty," thought Franley.

Once he felt content with how things were, the spotlight disappeared, the regular lighting returned and time resumed.

"What the heck?" laughed Candy.

The lady, confused as ever, took her hands away from her face.

"What in the world happened?" shrieked the lady.

"I don't know but you looked funny!" laughed Franley.

"Security!"

Candy and Franley were sitting on the steps together, still chuckling about what happened.

"Well, apparently this crummy town doesn't have any places hiring. Sorry for dragging you out here for nothing," apologized Candy.

"Actually, there are some places hiring. That lady lied to us," said Franley.

"What? How do you know?" asked Candy.

"I froze time by accident and looked on her computer," winked Franley.

Candy playfully shoved him and laughed some more.

"So that was you? Back there?" asked Candy as she pointed up at the building.

"Yup!"

"You're bad!" Candy laughed even more.

"She was worse!" Franley laughed, playfully shoving Candy back.

"Franley!"

Franley looked over to where he heard his name and saw his mother on her bike.

"Wait, it would take her an hour just to get here. Does that mean time somehow keeps going when I pause it?" thought Franley.

He and Candy stood up.

"Mom? How'd you know I was here?" asked Franley.

"Kent and Paul, who were worried sick about you, came to me and are currently being punished by their parents for not keeping an eye on you. Why did you leave home? You know you're not supposed to go past the barrier!" asked Frisk.

Candy stepped forward and was sort of shy.

"It's my fault. I ran from an abusive place, and fell asleep near a river. He woke me up, and I asked him to take me to a nearby store or something, and he asked me how I felt about monsters. When he asked me that I grabbed him and dragged him here. Along the way he told me what he is, but, I don't mind. He just helped me by finding out what places are hiring. I just need him to show me the places that are hiring, and if you want, I won't bother him again," timidly said Candy.

Frisk's eyes and features softened.

"My son was helping you? A-and you don't care about him being a hybrid?" whispered Frisk.

"I don't mind him being something else. He's nice, and that's all that matters," said Candy.

Frisk wiped a tear from her eye.

"Okay then. In that case, how would you like to live among the monsters? Everyone is nice, and I'm their Queen, so I will tell them to treat you like family. I can get you a job in no time," offered Frisk.

"Uhm, thank you, but, I feel like I could change this town for the better if I make a life here. I'm only nine, but I know I can do it. Could Franley visit me here?" asked Candy.

"Sure! My son is a determined boy, so as long as he is determined to help you, there's nothing he can't do. Franley, do you agree with these terms?" asked Frisk.

Franley looked back and forth between Candy and his mom a few times.

"Sure," he finally responded.

Frisk knelt down to kiss him on the cheek.

"I'll be home then, finishing up dinner. After you help her find a job, why don't you bring her over so we can feed her and give her some new clothes?" said Frisk.

"But-" Candy started.

"No buts! If you want to change this place for the better, you need to change yourself for the better first. Let us help you," interrupted Frisk.

Candy sighed.

"Yeah ok. Thanks," said Candy with a hand on her hip and the other hand picking earwax out of her ear.

"Oh, and if you need somewhere to stay, go find the old Mystery Shack. It's no longer the Mystery Shack but the sign is still up. That's where my family lives. They'll be more than happy to let you stay as long as you say you know me," said Frisk.

"Maybe some proof I know you? Could you write a note?" asked Candy.

Frisk dug through her purse, pulled out a notepad and pen and wrote a short note, then handed it to Candy. Candy stuffed it in her rag's pocket after neatly folding it. Frisk smiled, hopped on her bike, and rode away.

"Alright, let's go get a job! Hey! Franley, you should apply to the same places as me, that way we can work together! It'll be a great opportunity for you to get to know other humans, plus, your mom's side of the family! What do you say?" Candy asked extending her hand.

"Partners?" asked Candy.

Franley's eyes sparkled with excitement. All he has ever known was his father's side of the family and side of the species. If he accepts her offer, he would be able to get to know his other half. That cinched it. He grabbed hold of her hand and shook it.

"Partners," echoed Franley.

"There are only 3 places hiring right now. The diner, the arcade, and the hotel is looking for janitors. The closest one around here is the arcade. Let's go!" said Franley.

Candy grabbed his hand and practically dragged him there. When they made it inside, she let go of his hand.

"Hello, dudes. What can I do for you?" asked a big, chubby girl.

"We want to apply for a job here please," smiled Candy.

Franley smiled as well. The big woman rummaged through a drawer and took out two applications and handed them the applications. Candy and Franley each took a pen out from the cup of pens near them and started filling out the form. When they finished, they handed the lady their applications.

"Thank you... Sally," said Franley, reading the woman's nametag.

"You're welcome, dude," replied the woman.

Franley wasn't sure why she had some facial hair, but decided against asking her. They ran to the diner next.

"What can I do for you, kiddos?" asked a fat man who had a lazy eye.

"We wanna apply for a job please," said Candy.

"Just a moment," said the man.

Franley had gotten a good look at his nametag. It read "Lazy Bruce". Compared to Sally, this guy's face was smooth. Last but not least, they applied at the hotel for the janitor position. Franley, not wanting to be dragged back home, used his power to levitate them both and fly them back to the forest. Candy looked around them, making sure no one saw them.

"You idiot! Next time, make sure we're away from the town before you start doing your magic thing! If someone saw you, you would've ruined our chances at getting a job," shouted Candy.

Franley cringed.

"Oh yeah. Sorry!" apologized Franley.

He was starting to feel a little tired, so he lowered them just before they entered through the barrier. He noticed he wasn't doubling over anymore, that this time, his eyes were just a little heavy.

"Come on, let's go to my place for dinner," sleepily said Franley.

He grabbed her hand and led her to his place. He went through the door, opened the refrigerator, and drank some banana juice. Pretty soon, he wasn't tired anymore.

"Alright! Who's ready for roast duck?" asked Frisk.

She set the large roasted duck on the table right when Candy sat down. Sans came in the dining room and saw his son sitting next to a human girl.

"Hey dad!" said Franley as he was getting a plate ready for Candy.

Candy looked at Franley's dad and her jaw nearly dropped.

"His dad is literally a skeleton!" thought Candy.

She looked at Sans and Frisk and then at Franley.

"That's amazing!" Candy thought to herself.

Sans sat down across from Franley.

"So son, who's this?" asked Sans.

"This is my new friend, Candy! She knows I'm a hybrid, and she accepted me anyway. She's different from the humans you and mom told me about," said Franley.

Sans eyed Candy suspiciously, which caused Candy to shift in her seat uncomfortably. He then sighed.

"Nice to meet you, kid. I'm Franley's father, Sans. Sans the skeleton. In case you're wondering, I am a monster," Sans said as he extended a hand.

Candy just looked at his hand for a moment.

"Human. Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Go ahead and shake my hand," winked Sans.

Feeling slightly uneasy, she took his hand. She half expected him to rip off her arm, but all Sans did was gently shake her hand as a fart sounded.

"Uh, uh, uh-" stuttered Candy.

"Hehehehehe! The old woopie cushion in the hand trick. It's always funny!" laughed Sans.

"Oh Sans! I remember when you did that to me when we first met!" laughed Frisk.

Franley hid his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry about my dad being a major dork. I swear I'm not like that," blushed Franley.

"What do you mean? Your dad's funny. I wish mine was like him," smiled Candy.

"Aw, thanks kid," said Sans.

He cut himself some duck, poured some ketchup on the side, and offered ketchup to Candy, who politely declined.

"Brother! Why didn't you tell me it was time for dinner?" asked Papyrus.

"You said you were busy and not to disturb you, bro," responded Sans.

"Ugh! Oh, hello! Who's this tiny human?" asked Papyrus.

Candy looked up at the super tall skeleton.

"Uncle Papyrus, this is my new human friend, Candy. Her and I applied for jobs in Gravity Falls in hopes we can work together," said Franley.

Frisk looked up from her plate.

"Oh, you two are going to work together? That sounds fun. Where did you guys apply?" asked Frisk.

"Yes! Do tell!" said Papyrus as he sat down and grabbed a plate.

"We applied at the arcade, diner, and a hotel for janitorial positions," said Franley.

"I forbid you two from working at a hotel," blandly stated Sans.

"You can't forbid me! I'm not your child," said Candy.

Sans just looked up at her from his plate, sat his utensils down, wiped his face with a napkin, and folded his hands on the table.

"Kid, as long as you're my son's friend, I'm going to try and protect you. When my wife was young, she got taken advantage of sexually a lot because she was constantly in the wrong place at the wrong time. She basically took advantage of her power to save, load, and reset, which she no longer has because it was transferred into our son. Don't take advantage of our son's power and think 'if something happens to me, he can just save me'. It's not worth the emotional damage. And even if you won't be able to remember what happened, I can remember timelines. So I'll know if my son has used his power. And if I ask him why he loaded and he tells me it was to save you and I find out you could have easily avoided the situation, I will scold you. I will not feel pity for you or ask you if you're ok. I will scold you for being reckless when you could've avoided it. So do yourselves a favor and avoid being hired at the hotel," said Sans.

Candy was near tears. No one had openly said they cared about her before. She sniffed, and folded her arms.

"I'm only going to listen because I don't want to take advantage of Franley's powers," scoffed Candy.

Sans smirked, knowing he had gotten through to her stubborn head. After dinner, Frisk made Candy a bunch of clothing articles, much like the ones she wore growing up. Striped sweaters, sweat pants, and fluffy socks. Once she finished making the winter and fall set, she set to work on the summer and spring set. She packed everything in a suitcase that was actually an inter-dimensional pocket suitcase that could fit anything and everything inside of it. It was made by the great Doctor himself .

"Here you go, Candy. I told Franley to check up on you once a day, everyday. So, you won't go too long without seeing your new friend again. This suitcase is special. made this to where you can put anything and everything in this. So, don't lose it," said Frisk.

Candy looked up at Frisk and nearly cried. She was wishing Frisk was her mom right now.

"Can I...no. Nevermind," blushed Candy.

Frisk was confused at first, but then realized. So, without another word, Frisk wrapped her arms around Candy.

"Living with us is always an option. Remember that in case something happens and you have no where else to turn to," said Frisk.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll remember that," thanked Candy.

Franley walked her back to Gravity Falls, then flew back home. Candy knocked on the door to the old Mystery Shack, but no one answered. She looked through the windows, but everything was dark.

"It looks, like it might be empty in there," Candy muttered to herself.

Then, the door opened, and a woman who looked to be in her 50s appeared.

"Yes? What do you want?" asked the woman.

Without saying a word, Candy took the note out of her pocket and handed the lady the note.

"So, my daughter sent you huh? Well, come on in. Make yourself at home in your new home," said the lady.

"Uhm, what's your name?" asked Candy.

"Call me Mabel. Living here is my brother, Dipper as well. My husband died a year ago from cancer, so it's just my brother and I now. Well, plus you as well," said Mabel.

Mabel showed Candy to the attic.

"It's a little dusty in here, but the broom is in the closet there. Just sweep around and it'll be clean in no time. I wouldn't sleep on that bed if I were you. If you have a sleeping bag, I suggest sleeping in that until you get the money to buy a brand new bed," warned Mabel.

"Okay. Thank you," said Candy.

Mabel nodded and turned to go back downstairs. Candy shut the door and looked around the attic.

"So. That's the Queen of all monsters mother, and Franley's grandmother," thought Candy.

Smiling, she took out the broom from the closet and began sweeping. When she finished, she rolled out a sleeping bag Frisk packed her.

"It's like she knew I would need this," smiled Candy.

The moonlight shined through the curtain less window. A few moments later, Candy fell asleep just at the same time Franley did back at his house.


	5. Breaking In The New Houseguest

AMS

BREAKING IN THE NEW HOUSEGUEST

Mabel busted through Candy's room while banging pots together, and behind her, an old, fat pig followed. Candy squinted, feeling quite agitated.

"If I have to wake up like this every single day I'm gonna lose it," angrily thought Candy.

She tried rolling over and pulled her sleeping bag over her head. The fat old pig pulled it back down by chewing on the end of it.

"Hey! Let go you stupid pig!" yelled Candy as she wrestled the pig for her sleeping bag.

"It's time to get on up, Candy! And this pig isn't stupid. His name's Waddles. Show him some respect!" said Mabel in an obnoxiously loud voice.

"You're determined to wake me up. Aren't you," asked Candy, squinting the sleepy away.

Mabel crouched down while smiling largely.

"Yep!"

Mabel then grabbed Candy by the wrist and pulled her out of the room and brought her to the bathroom. She opened the linen closet and handed Candy a towel, then grabbed the bag out of the closet.

"I went to the store for you this morning to buy you your own shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a loofa!" excitedly said Mabel.

Candy looked at the soap Mabel bought for her and nearly cringed from the name of the scents.

"Unicorn hair scented? What does that even smell like?" asked Candy.

Mabel tapped her chin, trying to remember.

"Hmm, well...sort of like bubblegum and fun dip, mixed with a little coca cola and pop rocks," said Mabel.

"Wha- what makes you think that?" asked Candy.

"Because I beat up unicorns before for their hair to protect my family from Bill. Don't ask about Bill. I shouldn't even have brought him up since my family and I swore to never talk about him," warned Mabel.

Candy lifted an eyebrow.

"Now go on and take a bath or shower. I don't care which! Just get clean. I'll be back with a change of clothes for you. Your suitcase is in your room's closet right?" asked Mabel.

"Yeah. Wait! Just bring me my suitcase and I'll pick out an outfit myself. Okay?" pleaded Candy.

"Why? Is there something mysterious in there?" joked Mabel.

"Ha! No. It's just my clothes and some other personal belongings. I just want to have control of what I decide to wear is all," expertly lied Candy.

Candy lied so well that Mabel didn't have any suspicions.

"I understand. I always picked out my outfits when I was your age. Of course, I always rocked whatever I wore! I'm sure once you get cleaned up, you can too," winked Mabel.

After Mabel left to go back upstairs, Candy closed the bathroom door, and once she was alone, she let herself smile.

"Stop it. Don't get attached! They could turn on you in an instant. Trust no one," Candy mentally scolded herself.

She sadly thought about where she ran from. She took off her rags gingerly, and winced when she looked in the mirror. She carefully ran a finger over the scars on her abdomen. She turned around and looked at her scar ridden backside. She hated herself.

"You're disgusting looking. You should be ashamed of yourself. Why'd you even try being friendly to that innocent boy? He's going to hate you once he finds out who you are. What you've been through. He won't want anything to do with you. You should pack up what you got and go die in the woods," Candy whispered to herself.

Her good conscience kicked in.

"Don't think like that. It's not your fault you were hurt. You can have friends and let yourself be loved and cared for for a change," said her conscience.

Candy shook away her thoughts. She'd rather not think or feel anything at all. She'd rather be numb. She thought about the monsters she met yesterday, and how Franley's dad acted like he adopted her as a second child.

"I wish...that he was my dad. I wish me and Franley were siblings," silently wished Candy in the bath tub.

She would have taken a shower, but some scars were still fresh, and they stung. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out multiple times slowly to try and bear the pain. Both physical and mental pain worked together, trying to tear apart the fabric of her mind. They mingled, twisted, and danced expertly. But Candy had a small fraction of determination left working against them, trying to disrupt the music the pains danced to. She wanted to get better one day. She doesn't want to give in to her despair. She'd rather die of anything else before taking her own life. She now had a reason to live and want to get better. It was because she met Franley.

"He's so sweet...but incredibly naive. If I wasn't actually younger than him, I would have considered him a younger brother," smiled Candy.

Tears escaped her eyes, and they fell on some of her scars. The salt from her tears made them sting, but she didn't feel it. She was too wrapped up in her hopes and dreams. The rapid knocking at the door made her snap out of it. She then realized she forgot to turn off the water as the tub was almost full. She quickly turned it off.

"Y-yes?" asked Candy.

"Your suitcase is by the door sweetie! Try to finish up, we're about to run some errands here," said Mabel.

An oink followed her sentence.

"Okay!" said Candy.

She was so used to doing chores, so much so, that she hated doing chores. Her family made her their slave, and if she didn't want to do the chores, she was choked by her mother while her dad whipped her front and back with one of his leather belts until she almost passed out. Her mother would release her grip for a few seconds to let her get a quick gasp in every now and then. She rapidly shook her head to forget as she found herself unable to breathe just by thinking about it. She slapped herself in the face to force the memories out.

"Are you okay? I heard you gasping," called Mabel.

"I'm fine!" shrieked Candy.

There was no response. Candy facepalmed.

"Great. I've probably angered her. From experience, it's best not to make them chase you to punish you. Might as well get out, get ready, and face the music before it kicks up an octave," Candy muttered to herself. She drained the water, got out, wrapped the towel around her, brought in her suitcase and picked out an outfit. She took out a sweater that really appealed to her. It was a dark blue and dark purple vertically striped sweater. She found a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, and boots with fur. When she was done, she zipped her suitcase back up.

"I should probably get a lock for this just in case," thought Candy.

She went to the door again, this time, very afraid to open it. She wanted to stay in the bathroom forever now. She hadn't meant to yell at Mabel. She hadn't meant to be disrespectful. The tears started coming.

"I don't want to be beaten," sobbed Candy.

"Candy? Open this door Candy," said Mabel.

Candy's arms shook. She felt like jelly. She shook her head.

"I'm not going to tell you again. Open this door," said Mabel.

Candy could hear keys jingling.

"One way or the other, she's coming in here," thought Candy.

With one of her jellified arms, she opened the door. Mabel put her hands on Candy's shoulders, which made Candy twitch violently and fall backwards. Even more scared, she backed up against the wall. Her eyes wide and wet. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME," sobbed Candy.

"Hurt you? Candy, I was worried about you! First I heard you gasping in here, and when you shrieked, I thought I upset you somehow so I tried to give you some time and space. Then I noticed your suitcase was taken in, and I really have to pee, so I told you to come out. Next thing I know, I hear you crying in here. I don't know what you've been through, and it's none of my business to ask. But, I'm not a violent or mean person. I won't touch a hair on your head," promised Mabel.

Candy's sobbing died down slowly as she forced herself to breathe. At first her breathing was ragged and irregular, but after a while, her sobbing was done and she was taking slow, even breaths.

"You okay now?" asked Mabel softly.

Candy nodded and wiped her tears and blew her nose on toilet paper.

"Good, good. Now, can I please use the restroom? I'm about to pee myself," nicely asked Mabel.

Candy chuckled while nodding, and got up and left the bathroom. Down the hall, a man came out of his room and stretched while yawning.

"Oh, hey. What's your name?" asked Dipper.

"I'm Candace. But everyone calls me Candy. I know Frisk, and she told me to come here to live with you guys," explained Candy.

"Ah. Okay. Well, welcome. Sorry it's not much," said Dipper.

"It's actually perfect for someone like me," smiled Candy.

Dipper wasn't sure what she meant by that, but shrugged.

"I'm about to make breakfast. You hungry?" asked Dipper.

"Yes please. Thank you," answered Candy.

They went to the kitchen where Dipper took out a cast iron pan and started making sunny side up eggs.

"How many eggs do you want?" asked Dipper.

"It's a trick question!" Candy's thoughts warned her.

"How many you decide is enough," carefully answered Candy.

"Kid, I don't know how much you normally eat. So, please tell me how many eggs you want before you get none," said Dipper.

Feeling a bit nervous, she fiddled with her fingers below the table.

"Th-three please," said Candy.

Dipper just nodded and took out three eggs, then broke them into the pan. A satisfying sizzle could be heard, and it made Candy's mouth water even more. Mabel came out from the bathroom and sat down at the table.

"Two for me, bro, and I want apple jam on my toast," said Mabel.

"Ok, sis," said Dipper.

"M-Mabel? What errands are we going to be running today?" timidly asked Candy.

Candy was sure she could at least ask Mabel questions, but she was still nervous to defy her.

"Well, for starters, the grass needs cut outside. And, this whole shack is really old and falling apart, so we gotta run to the Home Goods store and buy some tools for making walls not fall apart anymore. All we girls gotta do is get the supplies. Dipper and his buddies are going to take care of replacing the walls. Then, after that, we need to get a new refrigerator since that one there is so old and broke on us a couple times. Dipper's getting tired of having to constantly fix it. Your room was swept up yesterday, so all that's left is having you pick out a new bed and what sheets you want, and of course, I want to get you something as a gift," said Mabel.

"So, we're going to be working together?" Candy asked, confused.

"Of course. These errands are too much for anyone to do by themselves in two days. So we gotta work together to at least get it done in two days. It might take more, if we end up having to clean up behind these old walls when I take them down," said Dipper.

He scooped up her eggs and put them on a plate.

"What do you want on your toast?" asked Dipper.

"Uhm, I'll have apple jam please," said Candy.

She wanted to be on the safe side. She didn't know if they had peanut butter or strawberry jam. Dipper nodded and spread apple jam on her toast, then put the plate down in front of her. She refrained from looking him in the eyes.

"Thank you," she said clearly.

"No problem. Ya gotta eat," chuckled Dipper.

Mabel made a mental note to tell Dipper about what happened earlier so he knows to not accidentally freak her out. Until then, they all sat at the table together. Candy was about to dig in, when Mabel cleared her throat.

"Huh?" asked Candy.

Dipper extended his hand to her. Candy then noticed he was also holding Mabel's hand.

"What's going on?" asked Candy.

"We're about to say grace, dear," said Mabel.

Candy didn't know what saying grace was, but she put down her fork and took Dipper's hand timidly. Dipper and Mabel bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Candy saw and did the same.

"Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly come to you to ask you to bless this food that we are about to receive. We thank you for bringing this young lady into our lives. It has been so long since Mabel and I had someone we could both truly care for and teach so many wonderful things. We pray for her happiness and safety while she stays with us. In your son Jesus' precious name we pray, Amen," said Dipper.

They all let go their hands and began eating the food. Candy was so confused about what just happened. She decided she would ask Mabel later while they were at the store. Later at the store...

"Uhm, Mabel? Can I ask you something important?" asked Candy.

Mabel grabbed a cart.

"Sure," said Mabel.

"What was that that happened before we ate breakfast?" asked Candy.

"You mean saying grace?" asked Mabel.

"Yeah."

"Well, saying grace is when we bow our heads and someone prays out loud to the Lord to ask Him to bless the food that we are about to eat. For without God, we wouldn't even exist, and the food wouldn't exist either since there would be no one to eat it. Everything that's around us was created by God Almighty," said Mabel.

Candy looked around and down at herself. She then thought about her scars and her horrid family.

"If there really is a God, why does He allow bad things to happen to us?" asked Candy.

"Well, let me tell you a story. God has a son, Jesus. God asked a virgin woman, Mary, if she would carry his son. She accepted and gave a virgin birth to the son of God. When Jesus became an adult, He was tortured and put to death on the cross. He suffered for us so we could be forgiven of our sins. I believe, since Jesus had to suffer for our happiness, that the best of us have to suffer to become closer to God. The closer we get to God, the more trials we have to face. Because the closer we are to Him, the more Satan tries to tear us away. When we go through so much heartache, that just means we are chosen for greatness. In case you're wondering about what happened to Jesus, he rose again three days after dying," said Mabel.

Candy looked at her situation in a new light. Could she really be destined for great things? Her mother's words rang in her ears.

"You'll never be anything! I never wanted to have you!"

"Your mother is right! The only thing you're good for is being pushed around and being a punching bag! If we accidentally kill you, oh well. You're just our toy."

"Do...you think...I'm destined for great things?" asked Candy.

"I think everyone is capable of being destined for great things. If you want to be destined for great things, then you gotta be able to stay determined and laugh in the face of danger itself. Once you can do those things, you'll be well on your way," said Mabel.

They got back to the house with the supplies. Dipper and his friends were in the living room, sitting and talking while drinking apple cider.

"Hey Robbie. Hey Wendy," greeted Mabel.

"Hey Mabel! Who's this cutie?" asked Robbie.

"Yeah, she's a new face, isn't she," asked Wendy.

"This little lady is Candy. She knows Frisk somehow, and came to live with us. Come to think of it, we haven't seen Frisk in 12 years. Candy, have you seen her? Do you know why she hasn't come around?" asked Mabel.

"Wait. Do you know she has a 12 year old son?" asked Mabel.

"I have a grandson and she never came over with him? What's his name? What does he look like? Who's the father?" asked Mabel.

"Hold on. I know his number. He's my friend. I can just have him come over," smiled Candy.

"Whoa. Frisk has a son and she never let you guys meet him? That's low," said Robbie.

Wendy agreed by nodding and narrowing her eyes.

"Hello, Frisk. Can Franley come over?" asked Candy.

She hung up.

"He'll be over as soon as he can," said Candy.

"Do you think I can have Frisk's number? I haven't seen her in so long, I miss her," said Mabel.

"Oh yeah. Sure. Here you go," said Candy.

Mabel teared up.

"Thank you so much," thanked Mabel.

In the next few moments, there was a knock at the door. Mabel rushed at the door and opened it. She saw a boy with white hair and brown tips and super light blue eyes.

"A-are you Frisk's son?" asked Mabel.

"Yes...?" replied Franley.

Mabel fell down and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm your grandma," said Mabel into his ear.

Franley was shocked. He timidly wrapped his arms around her.

"You're my grandma?" he asked, choking on his words.

"Yes. I'm Frisk's mother," softly replied Mabel.

She brought him into the house after they finished embracing each other. Dipper and the others stood up.

"So, you're my great nephew huh? My name's Dipper. You can call me Grunkle Dip if you want," smiled Dipper.

Franley went to embrace him too.

"I can't believe I'm finally meeting all of you. I have wanted to meet my mother's side of the family for so long," cried Franley.

Candy was smiling as she felt so happy for her new friend. They pulled away from the hug, and Robbie and Wendy got a good look at Franley.

"I'm Robbie, your Grunkle's friend. Nice to meet you," said Robbie.

They shook hands.

"Are you a human too?" asked Franley as he shook his hand.

Robbie cocked an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't I be a human?" asked Robbie.

"Sorry. I couldn't tell because of your pale skin," apologized Franley.

This made Mabel and Dipper furrow their eyebrows.

"I'm Wendy. I was your Grunkle's best friend first," said Wendy.

She quickly added, "I'm human too."

Franley laughed and shook her hand.

"Franley, why did you ask if Robbie was a human?" asked Mabel.

"Well, because he looks a lot like this one monster who I know. I figured I could ask him since he knows my family," said Franley.

"Who's your dad?" asked Dipper.

"His name's Sans. He's a magical skeleton monster, and he's King of the monsters. Frisk is the Queen, and I'm the prince," said Franley.

Candy bit her lip nervously in the background, hoping they would still accept him.

"Can you bring Sans over for dinner tonight? Bring your mom too," asked Dipper.

"I guess I could ask. They're usually busy with economic things and other political things that I don't really understand yet. So I'll see if they can make it," said Franley.

"Are monsters evil like in the stories?" asked Robbie.

"Oh no! Well, there are some mean monsters, but they're not evil. I get picked on sometimes because I'm the only one who's half human half monster. So it gets kinda awkward from time to time. But I've learned to accept myself. I mean hey, I made a human friend! She doesn't care about my monster half or the fact that my dad is a monster. You guys are gonna love him if Candy does," smiled Franley.

They all looked a little apprehensive, but decided to at least keep an open mind.

"Well, I'll be going back now. Hopefully we can see you all tonight!" said Franley as he waved goodbye.

"Candy, you knew about my grandson being half monster?" asked Mabel.

"Y-yeah. I didn't say anything because most humans aren't as open minded. The only reason I was open minded was because before he revealed himself being half monster, he was just like an innocent child who has a heart of gold. He's the opposite of evil, so when he told me and proved it to me, I was shocked, but I didn't hate him for being half monster. I decided I would give him and his family a fair chance. His dad and the other monsters really are all great! They even warned me to not work at hotels for fear of my safety," said Candy.

"Well, I guess we should also give the monsters a chance," said Mabel.

"I think so as well. 12 years from not seeing or hearing anything from Frisk, and it was because she was afraid of us rejecting her son because of him being half monster. If Candy wasn't here to vouch for them, and the fact that we hadn't seen our family in such a long time, we most likely would have turned him and the monsters away. Ever since Weirdmageddon happened, Gravity Falls banned anything weird and out of the ordinary. But, now that we know our grandson is half monster and if they turn out to be good, we should work on getting this place to accept the weird again. Weird isn't always bad it seems," said Dipper thoughtfully.

Candy beamed with happiness. Without thinking about it, she hugged Dipper for being so thoughtful. After realizing what she did, she quickly let go and apologized over and over and started hyperventilating.

"Whoa, kid! Calm down! Dipper's not mad. Sure, he wasn't expecting a hug, but that doesn't mean he's gonna bite your head off," said Wendy.

"Yeah. Take a chill pill, kid. You're cool," said Robbie.

Candy straightened herself back up.

"R-right. Sorry about that," said Candy.

Dipper smiled reassuringly and ruffled her hair.

"It's ok, Candy. If you ever need or want a hug, don't hesitate. We're your new family after all," said Dipper.

"My new...family? But, families hurt each other," said Candy.

"Not this family. Sometimes we say things that might hurt each other from time to time, but that's every healthy family. We're all human here, well not for long, so we're bound to make mistakes. But there will not be any abuse in this household," promised Dipper.

"S-so, people around here might say things that hurt, but no one's going to physically hurt one another? And I can hug anyone around here when I need one? And we all do chores together and we can pick out what foods to eat? Is there any strings attached?" asked Candy.

"The only string that's attached is in order to be part of this family, you have to be a good kid and listen to when we ask for your help. Other than that, no strings attached," smiled Dipper.

Candy glomped Mabel who laughed and hugged her back. She let go and glomped Dipper who patted her head, then she glomped Wendy and Robbie who both chuckled and rubbed her back. Candy bit back the gasps from the pain of her scars. Candy definitely felt more at ease with them, but she was still not 100 percent convinced. In order to be 100 percent convinced, she would let time do the talking.


	6. Being Open Minded

AMS

BEING OPEN MINDED

The owner of the hotel, Vee, called Candy and Franley to come in for an interview. The two politely declined, saying they had changed their mind.

"Oh. Well that's too bad. We really need help," said Vee, trying to guilt trip them.

It had no effect on Candy, but it took Sans yanking the phone out of Franley's hand to tell Vee to let it go.

"I'm sorry, and who are you?" asked Vee.

"Franley's father. If you call my son again, you're gonna have a bad time," warned Sans.

"Who are you to threaten me?!" yelled Vee.

"Your worst nightmare if you call again. Bye," said Sans.

He hung up on her in the middle of her shrieking, and handed the phone back to Franley.

"If she calls again, tell Chara so he can haunt her for 3 days. I would say a week, but I respect Chara too much to torture him like that," said Sans.

"O-okay, dad. Thank you," thanked Franley.

"You're welcome, kiddo," winked Sans.

"Hey dad!" called Franley.

Sans stopped at the doorway and turned back around.

"What's up?"

"Wanna play a video game?"

"I don't know how to play a 'video game'. I'm pretty old school. Do you even know what I used to do for fun?" asked Sans.

"What did you do if there were no video games?"

"I knocked on a huge door and told knock knock jokes everyday. I also played pranks on your uncle Papyrus and many other monsters. At night, I would drink ketchup and watch Mettaton. Heck, I even used to be the underground's local comedian," said Sans.

"That all sounds kinda boring, except for the last two parts. But there were no video games?" asked Franley, his face looking horrified.

"There was technology, and Undernet, but no video games. The closest to video games we had were puzzles. I ought to take you to the underground sometime and show you what it's like. Wanna check it out tonight?" asked Sans.

"To finally be able to see where half my kind grew up? Why would I NOT want to see it?" excitedly asked Franley.

Sans chuckled.

"If you had grown up underground, you wouldn't sound so excited to be able to see it. It was, technically, our prison. You might feel a little claustrophobic since it's a lot smaller than out here. So brace yourself," said Sans a bit sadly.

"But dad, it's still not a bad place. It's where you met mom," said Franley.

If Sans had eyes like his son or his wife, they would have turned glossy.

"Heh, you're so smart. Because of what you just said, I won't feel sad thinking about the underground from now on. Well, see ya later son," smiled Sans.

"See ya later, dad."

Franley got up off his bed and changed into a yellow and green striped shirt, brown pants, and black tennis shoes. For extra precaution, he equipped some armor: a brown leather jacket.

"Maybe I need a weapon too? No. My goal is to protect myself, not harm others," Franley thought out loud to himself.

He put on extra armor: his green cap. Suddenly, a small goat boy ghost appeared!

"Whoa! Who...who are you?" asked Franley once the initial shock was gone.

"I'm Prince Asriel. Before you were born, I was the Prince of all monsters. We are sort of related since my mother adopted your mom when she fell underground. So, mind if I think of you as my nephew? It might be weird, considering you're a human and I'm a monster, but I once referred to Chara as my brother," asked Asriel.

"I don't mind if you think of me as your nephew. But, I'm not just human," said Franley.

"What do you mean? You have human skin, you have a determined soul, and your hair is like Frisk's, except for the odd color. You look human all around," said Asriel, confused.

"My dad is a monster, and my mom is Frisk, but you knew that part. I have both my parents' powers too," said Franley.

"Neato! I've always wondered if humans and monsters would be able to make children, and you're living proof!" exclaimed Asriel.

Franley giggled.

"Franley? What's going on in there?" asked Frisk through the door.

"Who's that?" asked Asriel.

"It's my mom. Mom! Asriel is in here," called Franley.

Feeling scared and a little emotional, Asriel disappeared into thin air. Frisk came in and looked around.

"Nice prank. You really do take after your father," smiled Frisk.

"What? No, he really was in here! He disappeared though," said Franley.

"Uh huh. Okay. Well, I'm gonna go make dinner. Hopefully it doesn't disappear on us," laughed Frisk.

After she left, Asriel reappeared.

"What the heck, dude?" asked Franley.

"Sorry! It's just...the last time I saw Frisk, I wasn't myself. I hurt her and so many others before her," said Asriel.

"But, you seem like a cool goat dude. So, what did you do that was so horrible?" asked Franley.

Asriel blushed from the compliment.

"I really want to tell you, but I'm afraid you won't like me as much if you knew. I'm gonna go for now, but I'll be keeping an eye on you," said Asriel as he slowly vanished.

"What did he mean? What did he do?" thought Franley.

"Franley pranked me good, honey. He told me Asriel was in his room and I believed him! Seems the acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree," said Frisk.

Sans flipped a page in the magazine he was reading.

"Really? He used to be really bad at trying to prank others. Then when he turned 10, he thought my jokes and pranks were lame. I wonder why the sudden change in heart," said Sans.

"I don't know. Kids are mysterious, y'know? Maybe he secretly wants to be like you but won't admit it and puts on an act," guessed Frisk.

"Nah, our son is really bad at lying. And I know why. It's because he's good hearted, like you. You're a terrible liar," laughed Sans.

Franley came jogging down the stairs.

"I'm going to go visit Candy. Oh, mom, dad, Grandma Mabel invited all of us over for dinner. That includes you too dad," said Franley.

Frisk stopped working on dinner, and put what she was making in the fridge.

"Good thing magic based food never spoils," said Frisk as she washed her hands and wiped off the counter.

Sans looked dumbfounded.

"Frisk's mom invited us over, including me? Does she know I'm a monster? And does she know I'm the King of all monsters? Does she know about you?" asked Sans.

"Yes, yes, yes, and yes," replied Franley.

Sans looked over at Frisk.

"Honey, your dream for monsters and humans getting along is slowly coming true," said Sans.

Frisk was shaking at the sink.

"I was so afraid, that they would reject anything they deemed out of the ordinary because of something they had been through with the supernatural. But it seems, I was worried for nothing," Frisk said shakily.

"Mom? Are you okay?" asked Franley.

"I'm just so happy," said Frisk, her voice breaking.

"Okay. Well, see you guys at six o clock. That's when they're expecting you both to show up," said Franley as he rushed out the door.

Sans walked over to Frisk and hugged her from behind.

"I love you, sweetie," huskily said Sans.

"I love you too," said Frisk.

They went in for a kiss, and stayed like that for a while.

"Hey, it's been a while since we, you know? For once, Franley is out of the house when you don't have to cook dinner... everyone else that lives in this house is out doing their own thing. Wanna have a good time?" asked Sans.

"W-well-" Frisk started, but was interrupted as Sans licked her ear and nibbled on it.

Giggling, she complied to his wishes. He scooped her up bridal style and went to their room to take care of his Queen.

"Yeah, that Vee creep called me as well and tried to guilt trip me. I wasn't feeling bad about saying no, so when she tried to pull that crap I just hung up on her. She tried blowing up my phone, so I blocked the number," said Candy nonchalantly.

Franley's blood boiled for Candy.

"That wench was harassing you?" angrily asked Franley.

Candy had never seen Franley get this upset, so it made her a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah but, I took care of it. So, you shouldn't worry about it," Candy said trying to defuse his temper.

It wasn't working.

"Candy, when I look at you, I see you as my beautiful younger sister. I don't like it when people mess with my family or friends. You're both to me," said Franley.

Candy got choked up.

"You're not so bad either, kid," said Candy, turning away from him.

Franley was ashamed of himself for how he felt. It was true that he saw her as his younger human sibling, but he was also in love with her. He scooted closer to her and carefully touched her hand. Immediately upon contact, she yanked her hand away and slapped him. He blinked, shocked of what happened. Candy hadn't realized what she had done until a few moments after it happened, and her hand flew to her mouth she was so shocked.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, oh dear. Are you mad at me? Here," said Candy as she extended her hands out, "you can slap my hands as much as you feel you need to."

She was near tears she was so scared. Franley grabbed her hands a little tight, making her gasp. When she gasped, she felt lips on hers. She was so surprised. She wasn't expecting him to do this, especially since he said he looks at her like a sibling. After her mind started working again, she pulled away from the kiss.

"I thought you said I'm like a sister to you!" shrieked Candy.

"You are like family to me! But I think I'm also in love with you! I know it sounds messed up, but it feels right in my heart," blushed Franley.

Candy stood up and ran back to the house, tears in her eyes.

"Idiot..." she whispered in the air.

Franley stayed where he was, sitting on the steps of Town Hall, with a hand reached out in the direction where she ran off.

"Please. Don't hate me. I can't lose you," Franley whispered in the air.

Dinner time finally came. Frisk was wearing a dress Toriel used to wear but in a red color, and Sans was wearing a robe to match it but in a blue color. Mabel, Dipper, and his friends Robbie and Wendy were looking out their window at them. Franley was walking in front of them, wearing normal kid clothes. Sans looked around the town nervously, and gripped Frisk's hand tighter.

"My wife can't save any of us anymore, so it's up to our son to save us if something happens. Our son, who never had to protect himself against any threat before, who plays video games, hangs out with Candy a non threatening human girl. What will happen if something ever does happen? Will it scar him so much he'll forget to load?" thought Sans.

He shook away the doubts, and tried to think of the positives.

"Hello, daughter! Erm, this must be your husband...Sans right? King of all monsters?" asked Mabel.

She was smiling nervously.

"I hope I'm being polite enough," thought Mabel.

"This woman appears to be afraid of me. Do I look that scary?" thought Sans.

He smiled warmly and held out his hand. Mabel's fear evaporated.

"Oh, he's so charming for a monster," thought Mabel.

She took his hand to shake it, but was surprised when he held her hand up and kissed it.

"Please, c-come in. It's not much, but we make do," said Mabel.

Dipper walked up to them. He first and foremost hugged Frisk.

"My niece, I haven't seen you since you were a young adult. 12 years is too long, and it was irresponsible to let your son find us on his own just to reunite us!" scolded Dipper.

"Ehehe, sorry about that," apologized Frisk.

"Honestly. Why did you have to be so scared to tell us, Frisk? We would have tried to be understanding," said Wendy.

"Hey, cut her some slack guys. She was under a lot of stress, and is only human. She is capable of making mistakes, and that's ok. We still love her," said Mabel.

Mabel and Candy were setting the table.

"Dinner will be done in a few minutes, so why don't you two sit on the couch and get to know everyone," suggested Mabel.

Sans and Frisk sat down together on the huge couch.

"So, you're a skeleton huh? What's that like? Do you ever fall apart and have to put yourself back together?" nervously asked Robbie.

Sans lightly chuckled.

"I'm a skeleton monster. I am much more sturdy than a human skeleton. My bones are a lot thicker, and thanks to me being made of magic more than physical matter, I am much more durable," explained Sans.

"Oh yeah, monsters have, like, magic and stuff. Does every monster have different magic, or do all monsters share the same magic?" asked Wendy.

"The magic varies. I have a younger brother, Papyrus, so he and I have the same magic abilities. But he doesn't know how to use his to the full extent yet. Whereas me, I can summon Gaster Blasters, bones, I can make things and people levitate, I can add gravity to things and people, and I can stop time for other people though time actually keeps going. So it's pretty much freezing people at that point," explained Sans.

"Can you show us a Gaster Blaster?" asked Robbie.

Sans smiled.

"Heh. This human seems to really like me so far," thought Sans.

Sans snapped his fingers, and a blaster appeared.

"This is a Gaster Blaster. Neat huh?" said Sans.

Dipper was starstruck, and he took a picture.

"So, if monsters have magical abilities and stuff like this, how did monsters lose to humans in the first place?" asked Wendy.

"This one seems suspicious," thought Sans.

"It's because humans have something called determination. Nearly all the souls of every monster in existence equals up to only one human soul. The souls of humans can persist after death, whereas a monster soul breaks upon death and is turned to dust. Frisk here, was killed many times underground. But, she has so much determination, she was able to save, load, and reset. When she turned 16, she had built up much more determination and was able to regenerate on the spot," said Sans.

Wendy and the rest of them, except Dipper, were shocked.

"Well why didn't you try to save her from dying?!" asked Wendy.

Robbie, who was also shocked, nodded which meant "explain yourself".

"Well, the reason why I didn't help at first, was because she had just shown up underground and the King at the time had orders that we were to kill every human that fell down so we could shatter the barrier with seven human souls. Frisk was the seventh human who fell down. I didn't play a part in killing her, but I didn't try to stop it because I had never met a human before, and the Queen who lived in the Ruins asked me to protect a human. I never liked keeping promises, so I half promised. I promised her I wouldn't harm her myself. But then, Frisk kept bringing time back, and I kept having deja vu. I was literally the only one who could remember anything. I entered a deep depression because of this. I tried dating the Queen during that time to take my mind off things, but because of my depression, she dumped me. Then, during my lowest point, Frisk, who was 13, came to me and comforted me in my pain. That's when I fell in love with her, and she fell in love with me. After that, I did my best to try and protect her, but she had a tendency to get herself in predicaments where no one knew where she was. She was the one who was protecting the whole underground honestly. There were some monsters she couldn't save, so she loaded and loaded and loaded. Then, side effects to the timeline started happening, so she did her best to not load at all costs. When she became an adult, Queen Toriel died of old age, and Frisk absorbed her soul to defeat the underground's largest threat, went through the barrier to collect six human souls since the other ones disappeared without a trace, and led us all to the surface," said Sans.

Wendy was crying the story was so beautiful.

"But, there is something you all need to know," said Frisk as she looked down.

"What is it?" asked Mabel.

Candy was intrigued too. She learned so much already about Frisk and Sans and wanted to hear more from them.

"I can't believe Franley's mom was such a badass," respectfully thought Candy.

"This is not my original universe. You all are not my original family. I came from a universe called Underfell. This universe is called Undertale. In Underfell, when I fell underground, I was constantly raped and abused. At the young age of 10. One time, when I reset and ended up back in the Ruins, with a version of Toriel who ate human children, I found a tear in the fabric of the universe, and I traveled through it to find a more suitable universe where I would be cared for. Your original Frisk is not as determined as me. She was a younger version of me, and she was a scared little kid who bawled her eyes out. I didn't understand her since she was cared for by Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, and almost every other monster. There were some monsters who tried to kill her, but for some reason, she found Undertale to be unbearable. So I helped her find a more suitable universe. I took her to a universe called Underfresh. She is still underground with them, and is married to Papyrus," said Frisk.

She felt bad since she practically made it to where they would never see their original Frisk ever again.

"Oh my. So, the multiverse theory is correct?" asked Dipper.

Frisk nodded. Franley was dead silent.

"My mom went through all of that? I can't even imagine," he thought.

It all made sense to Candy when she remembered when Sans got strict with her, telling her he forbid her from working at a hotel.

"He doesn't want what happened to Frisk to happen to me," she thought to herself.

"So, you were treated a lot better in this universe by the monsters? It's just the ones in Underfell that are twisted and evil?" asked Robbie.

"Yes. The monsters in this universe are compassionate and loving. They deserve mercy," smiled Frisk.

"Dinner's ready!" said Candy at the same time the timer went off.

"Oh yeah, this is the first time I will get to try human food," said Sans excitedly.

"Mine too!" said Franley.

"What do you guys eat?" asked Wendy.

"Magic based food. It heals HP as well as fills you up," said Sans and Frisk at the same time.

"You two are adorable," said Mabel.

She filled up a plate with roast beef, mashed potatoes drenched in dark gravy, asparagus, and a piece of corn bread and gave it to Sans.

"Wow. It looks so different from monster food. It smells delicious though," Sans thought.

He picked up a fork and tried the roast beef first. Everyone at the table was watching his reaction. White stars formed in his eye sockets. He quickly picked up the spoon to try the mashed potatoes and moaned when the flavor hit. Picking up the fork again he tried to asparagus and moaned a little louder. Then he bit the corn bread, and was in Heaven.

"Ma'am, this food is so darn delicious. Thank you for having me over," Sans said after swallowing his food and wiping his mouth.

"Oh gosh. No one's actually complimented my cooking before this much. Thank you!" gushed Mabel.

Waddles came waddling in slowly. Mabel looked over and smiled.

"Oh Waddles you old thing. I'm not sure how you lasted this long, but one day..." thought Mabel.

Seeing his dad react like that to human food, Franley ate the food and nearly fell over it was so delicious.

"Thanks grandma!" said Franley.

"You're welcome, boy," smiled Mabel.

Everyone ate and chatted away like old friends. Whenever Candy glanced at Franley, she would blush and feel something tug at her heart. Franley would blush as well and wonder if she still wanted to be his friend. She gave him a quick smile to reassure him, and that's when he smiled back but twice as much. Then, she made funny faces at him which he returned. The two laughed and ate their food.

"Mom, we'll be sure to come by more often. I promise. I love you," said Frisk.

"I love you too, alternate daughter," chuckled Mabel.

Sans was quiet. He didn't want to ruin a good thing.

"Sans, you are very much a gentleman. I would love for you to come over to hang out with us every now and then. After all, you are my son in law," said Mabel.

"Yeah dude! We could all be great friends," excitedly said Robbie.

"You're okay," cooly said Wendy.

"What they said. I'm down if you're down," said Dipper.

Sans nearly cried. This was everything he had ever wanted.

"Th-thank you all so much. It means a lot to us," said Sans as he bowed to them.

"Cool man," replied Dipper.

"So, uh, see you tomorrow?" sheepishly asked Franley.

"I better see you tomorrow. Not because I like you or anything though. I-idiot," said Candy.

Franley scratched the back of his head.

"Okay? Good night then," said Franley.

"Good night," softly replied Candy.

Slowly but surely, this family was breaking down her walls. Candy knows this, and the thought scared her.

"I wish I could stop myself from getting attached, but it seems it's impossible," thought Candy as she bit her lip.

The road ahead seemed uncertain for Candy, but looked promising for the monsters. Hopefully things will balance out.


	7. Back Underground

AMS

BACK UNDERGROUND

When Sans, Frisk, and Franley made it back home, Sans winked at Franley and motioned for him to follow him. He followed his dad all the way downstairs in the basement. Sans created a shortcut.

"Ready, kid? Take my hand," said Sans.

Franley seemed a little nervous, but took his dad's hand and they went through the shortcut. They came out the shortcut and they arrived at the spot that Frisk had fallen on so many years ago.

"It's not that I'm scared or not in awe of this place, but I'm gonna save just in case," said Franley.

"Heh, sure. I almost forgot you had that power and not your mother anymore. There are days where I think she's gonna load after something happens, but then nothing happens and I remember her power is gone," said Sans.

Franley took a sharp quick breath and a star appeared. He was so happy.

"Looks like it's starting to become more natural," thought Franley.

Suddenly, vines struck through Sans!

"DAD!" cried Franley.

Sans coughed up blood.

"S-son, it's gonna be okay. If you find a way to die, you can just load. If worse comes to worse, you'll have to reset if you really want me alive. But that means you'll have to start from the day you were born," Sans said in a raspy voice.

Franley's tears flowed heavily. Sans' hand reached out to Franley, shaking violently, then he collapsed. His whole body and soul turned to dust. Next thing he knew, a flower with a smile appeared out from the ground.

"Golly! You sure look different, Chara! Did you dye your hair? Anyway, now that old smiley trash bag is outta the way, we can have some fun!" bounced Flowey.

Franley was on his knees, crying, and staring at this adorable flower that had killed his father before his very eyes.

"Chara's my uncle you demon! You just killed my father!" shrieked Franley.

Flowey sank back, being surprised that this kid had yelled at him.

"Wow! No other human ever yelled at me before! You're not predictable, Chara. Even after all this time, we're still inseparable. I want to see what you'll do with the underground this time! That's right. Frisk may have opened the barrier, but some monsters stayed underground because they feared the surface, and now the underground is almost full again. Have fun with whatever you choose to do with their lives!" sang Flowey.

"Kill me! Kill me now!" ordered Franley.

"I don't want to kill my best friend! … Yet. Toodles!"

Flowey went back into the Earth and left Franley to cry by himself. After a moment of crying, he wiped his eyes and shakily stood up, his head still down.

"Maybe if I keep going, I might find a weapon I can use to kill myself and then load. Dad said he can remember timelines, so when I load, he'll know right away to get us back home," thought Franley.

He didn't want to say his thoughts out loud for fear the flower might hear him and ruin his plans.

"Don't worry, dad. I'll save you," thought Franley.

For the first time ever, he felt his soul burning with determination. He held his head up and with fire burning in his eyes, he walked forward. He went down a gray hallway that lead to a grand door, and he went through it. If it hadn't been for the fact that a flower killed his dad, he would have been amazed with the detail in the door. Well, he silently was, but his mind was stuck on his mission. He then came to an area where there are tiles on the ground, but the door was already open.

"Huh. I guess mom didn't close it. That's dangerous, considering that flower has probably been through the entire underground if she left everything open," Franley thought out loud.

"You betcha! But, I can travel around underground the underground. So even if the doors were closed, it wouldn't have stopped me. But you know what I can't seem to get over? The fact that whenever you're underground, I can no longer use my powers to save, load, and reset," cheerfully said Flowey.

Franley had an idea and smirked. Then he put on his best innocent face and faced Flowey.

"Best friend, can I hold you?" sweetly asked Franley.

Flowey bounced happily.

"You want to hold me? Oh, joy! I've missed you, Chara!" said Flowey.

He jumped into Franley's arms and cuddled up to him. Just when Franley was sure Flowey felt safe, he ripped Flowey apart.

"Guh!" choked Flowey.

Once Flowey's face disappeared, it looked like a normal flower that had been torn in half.

"There. One less problem while I find something to kill myself with," said Franley, "Maybe now I can actually enjoy the underground while I look for a way."

He walked through the open door, and his breath was taken away by how beautiful the water in the room looked against the purple walls and floor. He walked up to a sign.

"Why does it look so blurry?" wondered Franley.

He was upset inside. He really wanted to read the sign. So much, that his determination conjured up a z button. Startled, he slowly pressed it. The sign was readable.

"Press z to read signs. Well, I wish I could have read it before I pressed it. I didn't even know I could do that," said Franley.

He walked up to another sign. He concentrated and brought the z button back.

"Stay on the path. Oh, ok," read Franley.

He walked back onto the path and walked over the first bridge. He noticed there was a switch on the wall that had yellow markings around it.

"Press this one please!"

He looked ahead before triggering it, and saw that spikes were up.

"Huh. I wonder why those spikes are up since my mom left the last one open. Oh well."

He triggered the switch, walked across the bridge and felt a rebellious streak in him when he saw the switch with no labels around it. He ran over and flicked it like a cat batting a toy. But nothing happened. Shrugging, he flipped the one that was labeled and he heard a loud kerchunk sound. He turned and saw the spikes were down.

"Huh. I wonder why these were even labeled," wondered Franley.

"Ribbit. Queen Toriel labeled them for the human, ribbit. The human in a blue and purple striped sweater," croaked a Froggit.

"Do you mean my mom? Who is 'Queen Toriel'?" asked Franley.

"Ribbit, if Frisk is your mom, then yes. Queen Toriel was the underground's Queen. So, essentially, she is your grandma, ribbit."

"Is she around still?" asked Franley.

"Ribbit, no. Sadly, she died of old age, though she looked middle aged for years, ribbit. I guess Boss Monsters don't live forever after all, ribbit. Hey, I noticed your LOVE is at 2. Please, when a monster wears a yellow name, show some mercy, ribbit."

"A yellow name?"

"Yes, ribbit. When a monster does not want to fight anymore, their name will show up yellow. When this happens, spare them. Though sometimes, you may have to spare until their name turns yellow to truly spare them, ribbit."

"I'll try to remember that. Thanks," said Franley.

Froggit nodded and hopped off. Franley thought about what Froggit said about yellow names and sparing as he continued to walk through the Ruins and solve puzzles even though the doors were already opened. He just wanted to see if he could figure out the answers himself. He wondered why the names were yellow and not pink.

"Yellow is a weird color," thought Franley.

He made it to a room full of Froggits.

"Ribbit, no one listens to me! They keep pressing [x] to skip my dialog. Pressing [x]...well, at least you listen to me."

Franley smiled warmly at the little guy. He then thought about how he conjured up a [z]. Using all of his concentration, he eventually conjured up an [x].

"It would be rude of me to skip through dialog, but this might come in handy if I have to load and try again and again to save my dad," thought Franley.

"Ribbit, I heard f4 can make this full screen. But what's f4 anyway? Four frogs? I can only see a maximum of 3 frogs in this room. This is troubling to say the least."

Franley furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What in the world is this frog talking about? Now that I think about it, this whole area so far reminds me of a tutorial in a video game where they explain all the mechanics and whatnot. Is the underground secretly a game? Am I being controlled by someone and I don't even know it? No. All of my decisions have been my own thinking and rationalization. Maybe these frogs just know about humans and their determination to conjure up keys," thought Franley.

He was then very curious about the four frog thing suddenly, and wanted to check the walls for any secret doors to reveal a fourth frog. He pressed his hands along the wall and slowly inched across it, checking every nook and cranny. Then he saw an ant sized frog and it waved at him!

"Hahaha! How cute! Hey, f4 Froggit! I found the fourth frog!" cheerfully said Franley.

The frog didn't seem to hear him. He got closer.

"Hey! Froggit! I found the fourth frog," said Franley.

The Froggit still didn't respond. Annoyed, he pressed his z button while standing in front of it.

"Ribbit, I heard f4 can make this room full screen. But what's f4 anyway? Four frogs? I can only see a maximum of 3 frogs in this room. This is troubling to say the least."

Irritated, he moved on.

"Ribbit, when you can spare a monster it wears a yellow name. Was this helpful?"

Franley hates yellow, so due to him not liking the color, he selected it was terrible.

"Want me to get rid of yellow names?"

Smiling, Franley selected yes.

"Okay. I'll tell monsters to get rid of yellow names, and they will spread the word throughout the entire underground."

"Thank you!"

"Ribbit, you're welcome."

Franley was surprised to get a response.

"Wait, you guys actually respond? What's with that Froggit there?" asked Franley.

"That Froggit is...special. Of course we respond. We're not computer programs, ribbit."

Franley moved on to the next room where a Whimsun appeared! He remembered his neighbor, Whimsalot and thought they looked familiar.

"But this one is shaking and looks scared," thought Franley.

His soul was summoned outside of his body and appeared in a box, then four options appeared beneath the box, and below the options was his name, level, and health gauge.

"Whoa. This is just like so many RPGs I've played!" beamed Franley.

He felt confident in his abilities since he is a huge gamer. Every inch of his being told him to fight the monster.

"But, he looks so scared and doesn't seem to want to be here. I'll try something else," thought Franley.

He pressed the ACT button, and 3 options appeared. Check, terrorize, and console.

"Console seems to be the correct option, but I wonder what check does."

He chose check and read Whimsun's stats and the little description about it.

"I can't handle this!" shook Whimsun.

Suddenly, white flies littered the box but was avoiding Franley's red and white soul.

"Looks like he's not going to attack me for real."

He chose to console Whimsun.

"I-"

Whimsun fled.

"Gee. I was only going to tell it 'it's all going to be okay'. Guess it was really upset. I wonder if I can get yellow names back so I can actually tell when to spare these monsters. I don't want to get upset and frustrated to the point where I consider killing them. He walked back to talk to the Froggit.

"Too bad. Monsters only have pink names left. Take it or leave it, ribbit."

"I'll take it."

Meanwhile above ground...

"Guys, have you seen or heard from Franley or Sans? I can't find them anywhere," asked Frisk.

"Sorry, human, but no I have not heard or seen them," answered Papyrus.

"I saw them go down in the basement earlier but I don't know where they are now," said Alphys.

"I wasn't even here all day," said Jock.

Frisk called Candy.

"Hello?"

"Hey Candy it's Frisk. Have you seen or heard from Franley?" asked Frisk.

"Not since you guys left. He's gone though?" asked Candy.

"Yeah, he's gone somewhere with his father," nervously said Frisk.

"They could just be bonding somewhere secret," suggested Candy.

"But Sans and I don't keep secrets from each other. We made a promise when I was a child," said Frisk.

"If it's one thing I've learned, is that no one can effectively promise to not ever keep secrets. So, sorry to break it to you, but Sans has a secret that you don't know about, but he can show your guys' son. I know it hurts, but I care about you too much to let you believe in your false hope," said Candy.

Tears pricked in Frisk's eyes.

"I have to go. Thank you," said Frisk.

Frisk put her elbows on the kitchen counter and put her head in her hands.

"What secret could Sans possibly keep from me? It's not anywhere outside of here or my mom's house in Gravity Falls. So where would they go?" thought Frisk.

She wiped her eyes and went into the living room.

"Alphys, I need your expertise in finding my husband and son. I'll pay you a huge reward for helping me if I find them with your help," said Frisk.

"That's my language right there! Don't worry. I'll create something that will track those two down that finding them will be guaranteed! Then once I get money, I can buy parts that I need to finish my latest invention!"

"What's your latest invention?"

"A device that amps up monster's magical capabilities so we can make a bigger barrier! It's getting crowded and we need the extra space," said Alphys.

"Why don't you just make something that can create anything made of matter so we can build a wall bigger than the barrier? We'll have a gate as an entrance and exit, but anyone who doesn't own a key can't get in. Then, you monsters can use your magic to make the wall indestructible," suggested Frisk.

"That makes more sense. Thanks!"

Alphys took out the unfinished invention and broke it over his knee and the broken bits fell on the floor. Frisk handed him a broom and dust pan, then Alphys handed them off to Jock and walked upstairs to his room with Frisk. Frisk, being an adult human female, is a lot stronger than she used to be when she was a kid. She has demonstrated her strength many times when having friendly sparring matches with Undyne to keep her and Undyne in shape. But back when she was a kid, she had to rely on items to be able to match up against Undyne. Now, she can pin her down with her bare hands in less than 10 seconds. Alphys knows he can't touch Frisk. Nor does he want to anymore, mostly because he doesn't want every monster to force him to live among the humans. But not just any humans. Big, buff, muscular adult men with tattoos and chugging thick cider like it's water.

Back underground...

"Phew! I finally made it. I don't know why I bought a cup of spiders, but I thought it might help me later. I'm using you guys as a last resort," breathed Franley.

He looked at the toy knife in his pocket, and hesitated.

"I don't have to kill myself just yet. I mean, down here is where my mother grew up and had her adventures. Besides, everytime I asked her about her childhood, she would always give me vague answers. What doesn't she want me to find out? Could that flower have given me answers?... That flower was pure evil. I can't trust that flower. I'll find things out myself," thought Franley.

He safely tucked the toy knife down in his pocket, tied the faded ribbon he found in his hair, and walked towards the cute house in the Ruins.

"I don't know what's beyond that door. Should I save? No. If I save now, I won't be able to load to before my dad was killed. I have to do everything in one go, and I know if I die prematurely, I won't be given another chance like this to learn about my mother and the things she went through. I know close to nothing about my dad as well. I need this. To better understand myself too. Because, they're part of me. I embody both of them as their son. If I'm going to be King one day, I need to learn everything I can about everyone's history. And it all starts here," Franley said determined out loud to himself.

He took a step forward into what will be a crazy learning experience. If he truly is to learn everything in one go and stay alive, he will need more determination than he has ever had.


	8. The Ex Queen's Home

AMS

THE EX QUEEN'S HOME

Looking around the abandoned home, Franley was awestruck. Everything looked and felt like someone could still be living in it. The house was well lit, there was warmth all around him in a comforting way, and it smelled like butterscotch and cinnamon.

"Whoever lives here knows how to make a place cozy," Franley commented.

He walked over to a drawer that had a dead yellow flower in a vase on top. He saw that there was a calendar in the drawer. It was open to 201X and a date was circled.

"I wonder what this is all about," wondered Franley out loud.

"BOO!"

"WHOAAA!" yelled Franley as he struggled to catch the calendar he nearly dropped.

He spun around to see Chara laughing very hard.

"Dang it Uncle Chara! You nearly made me become a ghost!" shouted Franley.

"Hahaha! Sorry, man. But hey, then you would be able to load and get back home. Want me to help kill you?" offered Chara.

Franley just realized if he didn't have powers or if his uncle was unaware of them, then that suggestion would have sounded so evil.

"You know, I found a weapon, and my initial plan was to kill myself with it. But then I got to thinking-" started Franley.

"Whoa, you're not thinking of staying down here like Frisk did, are you?" asked Chara in a concerned tone.

"My mother stayed down here? How can that be? She and the other monsters are on the surface," asked Franley.

"Well, she didn't stay down here forever, but she stayed a lot longer than the other Frisks from other universes ever did. Mostly because she's the first Frisk to ever fall for Sans and have him fall in love back. So, in a way, she stayed underground. If Toriel hadn't passed, you would have been born down here," said Chara.

Franley's eyes widened.

"Wait, so there are alternate versions of my mom and my dad? And my mom in this universe is the first and only one to have fallen for my dad and him fall back? So, I'm the only one in this universe, and there are no alternate versions of me? Also, born underground? I can't imagine my life without seeing the sun, breathing the fresh air, and...without my best friend Candy," said Franley.

"Well, I haven't checked other timelines, but since you exist, there might be other Frisks who have you, but not with Sans. In other timelines, you might be all human, or have a different monster dad. So, I'll have to check them out with Core Frisk sometime, if she ever pops up again. Also, if you were born underground, you wouldn't have ever even known about the sun, fresh air, or Candy. So, you wouldn't have been able to miss things you've never experienced," answered Chara.

"Oh. Who's Core Frisk?" asked Franley.

"She's-"

He was interrupted when a black hole opened up, and a small gray Frisk with black pools for eyes stepped out. Franley stumbled backwards.

"M-mom? You're so small, and gray, and your eyes look so empty," stumbled Franley.

"I am merely a version of your mom. I am Core Frisk. I am the only Frisk that constantly sees the past, present, and the future of all existing universes. So far, there are two alternate versions of you. In Underfell, Frisk made it out of the underground and had you with a human. In Humantale, your mother is a monster in that universe and the monsters are humans by the way, she had you with another monster, so in that one you are a full monster. I am timeless, I cannot age nor can I die. The universe created me for the sole purpose of guiding the other Frisks to the best future possible. But, they don't always listen, and end up dying a lot and trying again and again. I stopped constantly trying to help them when I realized they will only listen to me once they are at the end of their rope. So, I only appear to them when I see they are close to losing their determination. Well, it was nice to meet you. But I should get back to monitoring them," said Core Frisk.

"Wait! Would it be wise for me to stay down here to try and learn everything I can, or am I just wasting my time and should I just kill myself so I can load and save my dad?" asked Franley.

Core Frisk opened her portal, and waved for Franley to come in. So he stepped into her world. It was all pitch black, the only sources of light coming from the millions of screens in front of Core Frisk. Core Frisk sat down in front of her keyboard, and typed in Undertale Franley. Three screens popped up. One showed his past, the other showed exactly what he was doing right now, and the third one showed his future.

"It looks like here, so far, you are safe to learn all you want. But, be careful since any little choice you make can drastically change your future's outcome. If your future suddenly turns dark and dangerous, I will let you know. But whether or not you heed my warning is up to you. Also, keep something in mind. What you learn, no matter what it is, you can never unlearn. What you find out down below may drastically alter your view on your parents in either a negative or positive light. I think you should learn what you can. But try to remember that your mom is incredibly different from what and who she used to be. Mostly because she no longer has determination to fall back on, so her stress has completely left. She no longer feels the heavy depression and burden all the other Frisks do. That is one thing you are inevitably fated to go through one day are depression and anxiety. Determination is both a blessing and a curse," said Core Frisk.

Franley looked at the screen and saw his bright future.

"Anything can alter that wonderful future, huh? What should I avoid in order to keep this future?" asked Franley.

"Show mercy with everyone, no matter what. Even the flower. Your future did look grim before I showed up. That's because I'm fated to tell you to spare Flowey," said Core Frisk.

"But I can't load, otherwise dad will take me back home, and I don't know how to make shortcuts yet. Dad said it's a very advanced skill that could harm me if I try to learn it without perfecting my other magic abilities first," said Franley.

"I have powers of my own. I can bring you back to just after your dad was killed so you can get a fair chance at a happy ending. Will you accept this help?" asked Core Frisk.

Franley picked up the small gray version of his mom and spun around while hugging her tightly.

"Yes! Thank you so much, small mom!" thanked Franley.

"Franley, I'm gonna break something to you that you won't understand right away. I, and the many other Frisks, may look like your mom and share the same name, but the other Frisks are not your mom. Your mom in your universe is one of a kind. She is the only one who has massive determination and a strong mindset to get through any challenge she ever faced. The Frisk in your universe is the only Frisk who is your mom, just like the Sans in your universe is the only one who is your dad," explained Core Frisk.

Franley sat her down.

"Oh. You're right. I don't understand, but maybe one day I will," said Franley.

Core Frisk smiled a bit, then with a wave of her hand, time was brought backwards to just after Sans was killed.

"Good luck."

She snapped her fingers, and Franley found himself back in the first room with the flower right in front of him.

"Hi, Flowey," said Franley, trying to be friendly.

"Hiya, Chara! Wanna pick up where we left off and kill everybody? The barrier's open, but I can block everyone's path! Or, they might not even leave, thinking if a human child is enough to kill them all, that they'll really have no future on the surface! Teehee! Isn't it perfect?" asked Flowey.

Franley thought about his sweet natured uncle.

"My uncle couldn't have been a killer before...right?" thought Franley.

He decided to play along and pretend to be Chara.

"I am Chara, like you said. But, I don't kill innocent monsters, Flowey. I'm a pacifist," said Franley.

"Hahaha! It's not April Fools Day, Chara! You can't trick me, your best friend! Anyway, if you really won't kill anyone, we'll see how far that gets you. Sooner or later, you're gonna meet a relentless killer who tries to take your soul to absorb it. What will you do? You'll die and die and die and die until you tire of trying! Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you let me inherit everything? After all, I'm the Prince of this world's future!" said Flowey.

He then disappeared. He walked through the open puzzles this time, already knowing he could solve them if the exits were closed. He re ordered the spider cider, picked up the toy knife again, and walked in the house in the Ruins. He decided to play it safe and look at the calendar again. Before Chara could say boo...

"Hey, Chara," said Franley.

"Oh. You loaded?" asked Chara.

"You don't remember Core Frisk? I couldn't load without my dad taking me and him back home, so Core Frisk offered to bring me back to just after my dad died so I can have a fair chance at a happy ending," said Franley.

"Oh! So, you're gonna practically walk the same walk your mother did? Not only did she spare everyone, she even tried to save everybody at the expense of her own well being. It was... reckless. She did the best she could though. I found out from Core Frisk once that if your mother had gone through without falling in love, that she could have freed every single monster at the age of 10. But, she thought she wasn't strong enough. She just didn't know to equip the items from the previous fallen humans to help her defenses. So, it was a no brainer as to why she kept dying over and over. I was going to tell her, but then she fell in love, and Core Frisk told me the impact of what I was about to say would have. I got to see you through her screen, and I bit my tongue," said Chara.

"Really? My mother...put herself in dangerous situations and willingly got herself killed so many times just to try and save everyone? That's so noble," said Franley.

Chara nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Should I tell him about that one run? Or...nah, I don't think he'll find out," thought Chara.

"Oh, by the way, Flowey thinks I'm you, so I decided to play along, thinking it would be easier than to try and change his mind since I already tried last time and he got confused and angry. Anyway, what do you think he meant by 'let's pick up from last time and kill everyone'?" asked Franley.

Chara gulped.

"W-w-well, Franley. T-the truth is, I wasn't always a nice person. I only became nice after Frisk overrode my control over her. For one timeline, I... made her do evil things," Chara admitted.

"Y-you made my mom kill?" asked Franley.

"Basically. The way I had died, corrupted me. But your mom, uncorrupted me with her determination to save me. I'm sorry. I'll go."

"Wai-!"

But it was too late. Chara left.

"I know the truth about him, but I feel bad for making him feel bad. I wish I could go back moments before I asked him that question," thought Franley.

His soul glowed from inside him, causing him to slightly freak out. Then, his file menu popped up, and a new option was there and was flashing.

"Rewind? Hmmm."

He pressed the button curiously, and a timeline dial popped up. He selected minutes, and cranked it backwards to five minutes. The box disappeared, and for a second, everything froze. Then, everything went backwards. In front of his very eyes, he saw Chara do the same things but reversed, and even his speech was reversed. Slowly, his face went from ashamed and worried to happy and joyful.

" and Core Frisk told me the impact of what I was about to say would have. I got to see you through her screen, and I bit my tongue."

Franley was surprised, but happy he could rewind time.

"Was this a power that mom once had?" wondered Franley.

He didn't care. He was just so happy he could do this so that way he could guarantee himself the good future. He suddenly had a devilish thought that he could literally do anything for shits and giggles, then rewind. He mentally shook his head.

"Why would you do that? You just got lucky, and you're already thinking of misusing your power? You know better," he mentally scolded himself.

"Heh, thanks Chara," said Franley.

"No problem. You didn't tell me your plan since I interrupted you, ha. So what is your plan for not dying and loading?" asked Chara.

"My plan is to learn everything I can about my mom and dad, and basically my whole soon to be kingdom. Also, check this out!" said Franley excitedly.

He summoned his save file again, and pointed to the rewind option. Chara stared in disbelief and shock.

"I have this crazy new power! Did you and mom also have this before?" asked Franley.

Chara slowly shook his head no.

"For some reason, everytime determination is transferred in this family, it seems to grow. When I had the power, all I could do were save, load, reset, and true reset where no one, including Sans, would remember my past actions. When the power transferred to your mom, she gained the ability to regenerate on the spot upon death, meaning, she didn't have to load after being killed. Now, after the power transferred to you, although it may be due to being a combination of your dad's space and time powers, you can rewind time. Yeah, I think that's definitely from being a hybrid. Because this power is linked to your determination, but this also deals with time. Yeah, I know determination deals with time, but I truly believe the added effect of your dad's time powers made this," said Chara.

"Whoa..."

They stared in awe at the rewind button for a while, then Franley exited out from the box.

"I'm proud, little man. Well, if you need me, I'll be keeping an eye out for you. So, just call my name when you need something. After all, I am the angel that comes when my name is called," said Chara.

When he disappeared, Franley became sad.

"You are now. But, you used to be the demon that came when someone called your name," muttered Franley.

"Wait. Chara!"

Chara appeared.

"Yeah?"

Franley showed Chara the circled date.

"Do you know what this circled date means?" asked Franley.

"Of course. That's the day I fell down and Prince Asriel found me, and his family adopted me as their own," said Chara.

"Oohhh. Cool. Thanks!" said Franley.

Chara clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers as if to say "no problem", then disappeared. Franley put the calander back in the drawer, and walked back to standing in front of the staircase. He looked left and then right.

"Hmm. I wanna see what's on the left first," decided Franley.

He walked into the living room. There was a very large chair.

"Whooaa. The monster that sat in this chair must have been bigger than every other monster out there!"

He noticed the chair was a light pink.

"Was this Queen Toriel's chair? My, was she huge!" laughed Franley.

He walked over to the fireplace. Fire was still burning in it. He stuck his hand in, and smiled at how it was only pleasantly warm. He noticed the tools and how they were all filed down for safety reasons. Looking over the bookshelf, he looked at all the books based on Snail facts. But one book in particular stood out to him.

"Toriel's True Diary. This must have some answers in here about something," said Franley.

He took out the true diary and flipped through the pages, carefully skimming over the passages until something caught his eye.

"Entry number 27. I did something I, as a Queen, shouldn't have done. I slept with the Royal Scientist, Alphys. I hadn't realized how lonely I must have felt since my duties as a Queen kept me busy. But, Alphys was so charming that I remembered I'm getting older, my husband is dead, and my ex Sans is in love with my daughter, Frisk Dreemurr. Maybe I should have tried to be more caring and determined like Frisk is. But, I couldn't handle his depression like she can. Perhaps it is because she has depression as well so she is able to relate? It's quite funny, because, with all the humans I had sent out and they were killed, I should have formed depression as well. But instead, I formed PTSD, but Frisk took it away by surviving. I hope I'm not pregnant. It will be quite hard to cover up."

He flipped to the next page.

"Entry number 28. I am pregnant with Alphys' child. I don't want anyone to find out. Not even him. I just have to buy more baggy dresses the bigger I get. It's only for nine months. I can do this."

He flipped, more intrigued than ever.

"Entry number 29. Well, Alphys guessed I'm pregnant, but promised he wouldn't say anything. He even offered to help me look for a family of monsters who want to adopt, but won't tell them who the original parents are. It makes sense. I should have trusted Alphys wouldn't say anything since as the Royal Scientist, he also has a reputation to uphold. But I really do not appreciate these mood swings lately. Everytime I see Sans with Frisk, I cry. I don't miss Sans. I cry for my daughter. Because I see a depressed young child who might be in the midst of being manipulated to fall in love by a much older depressed skeleton who might be dating my daughter to get back at me. I truly hope this isn't the case. I want my child to be happy. I know she's technically seventeen, but she is still a child to me."

Franley wanted to know who this secret love child is, so he flipped. Flipping the page filled him with determination.

"Entry number 30. If I didn't have this diary to write everything in, I would have gone crazy long ago. I try to talk to Alphys about how I feel, but he's always busy with something. I just think he isn't good with talking about feelings. My old home in the Ruins is a perfect spot for me to hide this information since no one will ever be able to see this. No one ever dared to come into my home before without my permission. I just worry another human might fall down. So I often send Napstablook to go check since, as a ghost, he doesn't have to walk through my house. He can just vanish and appear in two different spots instantly. Thank you Napstablook. I should thank him for real."

"Huh. I guess she didn't think I would ever find this. She didn't think anyone would find this. After I'm done reading this, I'm hiding it in a better spot for her. I don't want to destroy this since I want to one day show this to whoever the child is."

He turned the page.

"Entry number 31. I've narrowed it down to two names. Although the family that gets this child might change the name. But, if it turns out to be a boy, he will be named Torphys. If it's a girl, then she will be named Aloriel. The due date inches closer and closer. I haven't given birth in a long time, so I'm afraid. How will I handle telling Frisk and everyone a bold faced lie saying 'Boss Monsters can die from old age we just don't show it'? It's completely false! If I wasn't having this child, and if this child survives, I wouldn't ever die of old age. I just hope they don't ask too many questions and just accept what I say as truth."

"Wait. Boss Monsters can't die from old age unless they have a child? So that means my dad will definitely die one day because I exist. Papyrus will live forever, as will Undyne, and Mettaton EX. I wonder how a Boss Monster is born? And how often they are born?" wondered Franley.

Then, he thought about it some more.

"Wait. I'm not just half human half monster. I'm half human, half Boss Monster! So, will I be immortal until I have my own kid one day?" wondered Franley.

The thought made him excited to think about.

"We don't have a lot of boss monsters. Maybe I should have a monster bride as well as a human bride. So that way I can produce a lot of boss monsters, and still have quarter human children, because, I do want to make more hybrids," thought Franley.

He flipped the page.

"Entry number 32. I gave birth in Alphys' lab. Our son is so beautiful. A perfect mixture of goat and dinosaur. He has my long, floppy ears, golden hair, my horns, and the rest of his body looks like Alphys', minus his tiny yellow paws. I know what to name him now, and it's not the name I thought of before. His name shall be Paul. It sounds like paw, but with an l at the end!"

"What?! Paul is...my step uncle? Paul is my mom's younger step brother! This is so weird. But, now that I think about it, how did I not notice how much like Alphys he looks? He looks nothing like the Whimsalots who raised him. Oh man, he is going to flip when he finds this out. Now, to find a safer place to hide this. I know!"

Using his blue magic, he lifted a piece of wood from the floor, set the diary down, and put the piece back over it.

"There you go, grandma. Your true diary is in a safer place now," smiled Franley.

He couldn't believe how much he was learning, and he wasn't even out of the Ruins yet. He looked in the kitchen, and saw a huge pie with a slice cut out.

"Heh. I wonder how old this pie is? It's a good thing monster food doesn't spoil."

He sniffed it.

"Mmmm. It smells like butterscotch and cinnamon!"

He looked around the kitchen for knives.

"Where are the knives?" he wondered.

He took a step back and put a hand to his chin and closed his eyes.

"From what I've seen so far, it's likely Toriel was an overprotective mother and didn't want the children she had coming in here to be able to quickly find knives and hurt themselves or others. Wait! I have my toy knife!" said Franley.

He took out the toy knife. It was sharp enough to cut through the pie. He cut a big piece and put it in his inter-dimensional pocket. It's an upgraded version of what Frisk used to have. In this one, he can store up to 10 items, and if he has more than one of the same thing, it doesn't take up the other spaces. It just has a times how many he has next to it. He then stepped back into the living room, went through the staircase area, and entered the hallway.

"There are so many dead flowers down this way. Guess no one knew how to use magic to preserve flowers yet or something. Or maybe they didn't want to preserve flowers."

He came to a door that had a sign on it.

"Frisk. This was mom's room. But, after reading Toriel's diary, this room also must have belonged to other fallen children," thought Franley out loud.

"You are right, Franley."

Franley spun around, and there was Asriel's ghost.

"Oh, hey Asriel. Have you met the other humans through this form?" asked Franley.

"No. This form is merely a projection of my essence. My essence is still...inside something. So, even though you see me, I am not really here. It's too hard to explain. But, do you get the gist of it?" asked Asriel.

"Kind of. Not really, but I'll accept the whole you're not really here thing," said Franley.

"You should know something about your uncle Chara. He wasn't always...good," said Asriel.

Franley thought about telling Asriel he already knew, but wondered what affect that would have on Asriel. Deciding to tell him, he opened his mouth.

"I found out through Flowey. Flowey thinks I'm Chara, so I played along. He told me that Chara used to kill everyone. I confronted Chara about this, and he told me everything. But I felt bad for making him disappear out of guilt and shame, then my determination made a rewind option. So I went back to just before I confronted him," said Franley.

Asriel looked shocked, but then smiled.

"It seems you have a power that no other human has ever possessed. Well, it might be because you're half monster," said Asriel.

"Heh, yeah. Chara thought the same theory," chuckled Franley.

"Well, I'm gonna go now. Good luck."

Franley waved as Asriel faded away.


	9. Tear Jerker Memory

AMS

TEAR JERKER MEMORY

His mother's old room was small, but cozy. Looking over at the bed, there were stuffed monster animals that resembled Asriel. He noticed the toy box at the foot of the bed. His childish side got the better of him and he was walking towards it.

"So, you like toys huh?" asked his conscience.

Franley scoffed at himself.

"No. I just want to see if there are any clues in here," Franley backed himself up.

"You do realize I am you, right? I know that what you really want is to see if there are any video games," said his conscience.

Before he even dug around to look, he remembered how his dad said in the underground there were no video games.

"But, dad said he met mom in a place called Snowdin. So, maybe he was wrong?"

He started rummaging through the toys. There were Barbie dolls, Transformers, plastic food, fake cell phones, and a single Gameboy with a very old cartridge in it. He took the game out of it and blew off the dust on and in the cartridge, and blew the inside of the Gameboy. The label on the game was worn off.

"Hmm. Hopefully this works," muttered Franley.

He stuck the game inside the Gameboy, and tried turning on the Gameboy. But it wouldn't turn on. He flipped it over, and took off the piece of plastic covering the battery area. There were no batteries inside. He looked and looked in the toy box, and found a pack of unopened batteries.

"Ha!"

He used the toy knife to cut the plastic, took out two double A batteries, and put them in the Gameboy. He tried turning it on again, and the screen lit up. The title screen popped up.

"Babe And Friends? What's this about?" wondered Franley.

He pressed new game, and saw he was controlling a pig on a farm and had to talk to the other animals.

"Well, maybe Candy would like this," said Franley.

He turned off the Gameboy, grabbed the pack of batteries, and put them in his pocket dimension. Items he has so far: Butts Pie, Toy Knife, Gameboy, Batteries. Spaces left: 6. He closed the toy box, and suddenly he felt very tired.

"Well, maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt. Besides, it doesn't matter how much time passes since I'm still going to load to before my dad was killed. Plus, I need to keep up my strength since I'm going to stay at LOVE 1," Franley convinced himself.

He climbed up on the bed. It was so soft, that he immediately fell asleep. He was having a strange dream.

"Hello? Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you?"

"Asriel?" asked Franley.

Franley's whole body felt warm and in pain.

"Here, get up. What's your name?"

"It's me, Franley. I'm in so much pain right now."

"Chara, huh?"

"No-"

"That's a nice name. My name is Asriel. Oh, um, don't be afraid, but you're about to meet my parents. They're the King and Queen of the whole underground, but they're extremely nice! Maybe, we could take you in if you want."

Franley saw that they were nearing the house that he is currently sleeping in.

"Wait, I'm about to meet Toriel and the King?" asked Franley.

"Heh, you sure look a little scared. But, I promise, Chara. You're gonna love them. I'm sure they will love you too."

A tall, goat woman came out of the house to water the tree. It didn't look pitch black anymore. Its bark was a chocolate brown, and its leaves were all the colors of the rainbow.

"Mom! I found a human! But, they're injured. Their name is Chara. Oh, are you a boy or a girl? Sorry, I cannot tell the difference between them."

"I'm a boy."

Toriel put down the watering can, straightened her dress, and walked right over. Franley couldn't believe how tall she was.

"Hello, my child! My name is Toriel. I am the Queen of monsters, caretaker of the Ruins. Are you allergic to anything? Why? No reason! No reason at all. Well, I cannot hide it. I will be making a butterscotch cinnamon pie to celebrate your arrival. Unfortunately, leaving the underground is not an option since you are the first human to fall down here. To break the barrier, we need seven human souls. You could go through it if a monster absorbed your soul, but I do not want anyone hurting a hair on your precious head. Come in! You can share a room with Asriel."

Franley then felt himself being pulled out of the body he was in, and watched as Asriel and Toriel led a limping younger Chara into the house.

"Whoa. My uncle looked a lot like my mom used to. Though, he kinda has rosy cheeks. Not very manly, heh," said Franley.

The scene switched, and he watched as Chara and the royal monster family sat together at the table and ate pie. He could see the pie fixing Chara's broken bones and sprains. After they were done eating, Asriel and Chara sat down next to the fireplace on the floor and colored in coloring books while Toriel and Asgore sat in their chairs and read books. Franley smiled. He could feel the love and warmth among this family.

"Wow. This is...beautiful. I could cry."

The scene switched. Asriel and Chara said good night to Toriel and Asgore, and they climbed into their beds. The light was off, and for a few moments, Franley thought they were asleep.

"Psst! Chara! Are you awake?" whispered Asriel.

Chara moaned lightly and turned.

"What is it?"

"I just wanted to tell you, I'm glad you fell down here. I've always wanted a brother and a best friend. You're two in one! Heeheehee," giggled Asriel.

Chara lightly laughed along.

"Thank you for having me here. I'm glad you're my new brother and friend as well. I'm very tired though. Good night."

Chara turned back over on his sleeping side, and soon, light snores were heard from him. Asriel had stayed up a while, just warmly looking at Chara with a small sense of innocent curiosity. Pretty soon, Asriel fell asleep. The whole room gradually turned dark until nothing left could be seen.

"Whoa, what happened? I wanna see more!" said Franley.

White words appeared before him.

"Many weeks later?" read Franley.

A scene opened before him. Asriel and Chara were in the kitchen mixing something while Toriel and Asgore were reading by the fire.

"Okay. The next ingredient calls for cups of butter. Oh! Does it mean those buttercups?" asked Asriel.

Chara looked in the fridge, and there was no butter.

"I think you're right, bro," said Chara as he closed the fridge.

Chara took Asriel's hand and they ran out to the flower garden where there were a lot of buttercups. They each picked a couple, ran back in the house and in the kitchen and put them in the bowl.

"Oh boy. I wish I could tell them those are not edible. Someone's going to get poisoned," winced Franley.

Asriel mixed the bowl until the buttercups were completely ground up and mixed in the batter.

"Mom and Dad are gonna be so proud of us that we made our very own butterscotch cinnamon pie together!" excitedly said Chara.

"Heck yeah they are! Alright, it says to let it bake for ten minutes."

Asriel put the pan with the batter in the oven, set it for 350 degrees, and set the timer for ten minutes. Ten minutes later, the timer went off, and Chara carefully took it out. The pie was golden.

"It looks different from how mom usually makes it. Do you think we added too many buttercups?" asked Asriel.

"I think we did. But, it'll still be good. Let's give dad a slice and see how he likes it. I don't know where mom went anyway," said Chara.

"No! Don't do it!" yelled Franley.

Chara grabbed a knife, and cut a slice. In the process, he accidentally cut his finger a bit.

"Ouch!" yelped Chara.

Asriel stared at the bleeding finger and looked at the knife that had streaks of red on the tip of the blade.

"Asriel, do you have any bandaids?" asked Chara.

"No. We don't ooze red liquid. But! Maybe this towel for drying hands will help!" said Asriel.

He handed Chara the towel, and Chara pressed his finger into it.

"Thanks, buddy. Let's give dad this slice."

Hours later.

"What did you two do?" asked Toriel.

"I told you guys not to do it," said Franley.

Asriel had his head down, but Chara looked straight up at Toriel. Almost defiantly.

"W-we tried to make your famous butterscotch cinnamon pie, and we gave dad a slice. I'm sorry, mom," shook Asriel.

Toriel's stern expression did not let up even though her son was feeling guilty and was crying. Chara kept his hand on Asriel's back.

"You know, it's kind of funny. In a way, mom, it's your fault! The recipe called for cups of butter, so we added buttercups just because we couldn't find the butter! I seriously thought, since you're all monsters and no one ever taught me anything, that buttercups was used as butter down here. So, your sick husband, is a result of your carelessness, hahahaha!" laughed Chara.

Franley was shocked.

"I still have no idea what Toriel was really like, so his behavior towards her is scaring me!" said Franley to himself.

Toriel sighed.

"No, we do not use buttercups as cups of butter. I should have taught you that, but it never crossed my mind that you two would try to make butterscotch cinnamon pie without asking for my help. Let's hope Asgore gets better soon," said Toriel.

Asriel and Chara went to their room since they were grounded. The next day, Asriel and Chara were in their room, and Asriel had a camera.

"Hey Chara. Make your creepy face!"

Franley folded his arms, and sat cross legged. He was intrigued about what these two would do next. Chara made his creepy face.

"Waaa! Hahaha! Oops! I had the lens cap on."

"I'm not doing it again. It hurts my face."

"What?! For real?"

"Hey, Asriel?"

"Yeah, Chara?"

"I have a plan to help free everyone. Mom said if a monster absorbed my soul, then that monster could go through the barrier, right? Well, what if you absorb my soul, and together, we get six souls from the humans on the surface, come back, and free everyone?We would need the buttercups for this to work."

Asriel's tears were falling at the thought of his best friend dying.

"Are you being a crybaby again? Are you... doubting me?" asked Chara.

Asriel sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"N-no! Big kids don't cry. I would never doubt you. I-I'll go get the buttercups."

"You should turn off the camera."

"Turn off the camera? Alright."

Franley looked a little bit horrified.

"This isn't going to go well, is it? Wait, even if it doesn't go well, would Chara still be able to reset or something?"

He watched Asriel give Chara the buttercups, then he turned away shaking from silently crying as Chara ate the flowers. Chara hugged Asriel, then they crawled in their beds and went to sleep. Sleep was easy for Chara, but poor Asriel cried himself to sleep. The next day, Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel were huddled around Chara's bed. Chara was pale, and his breathing was hard and raspy.

"Oh geez. This isn't right," Franley said, choked up.

Toriel couldn't speak since she was crying.

"Chara, you are the future of humans and monsters. You must stay determined!" begged Asgore, his voice slightly cracking.

Toriel put her hand on Asgore, and led him out of their room. They left the door open. Asriel inched closer to Chara and sat a paw on Chara's hand.

"Psst! Chara, I don't like this plan anymore. Let's just forget about this."

Chara turned to look sternly at Asriel as he was barely able to breathe.

"No. I said. I said I would never doubt you. Six right? We just have to get six. And we'll do it together."

Franley was a crying mess.

"I never would have guessed that this was how my uncle went out. This is so sad! He's putting those poor monsters through so much grief."

The next day. Franley watched from a distance as Asgore contained Chara's red soul in a jar thing, carefully wrapped Chara's body in mummy wrappings, and gently laid him in a coffin, and closed it. The King wasn't crying, but Franley could tell his heart was broken. Shortly after Asgore left the room with Chara's contained soul, Toriel was coming down the stairs, opened the coffin, unwrapped Chara, and ran up the stairs with Chara in her arms. The scene switched to seeing Toriel and Chara in the room where Flowey had killed his dad. Toriel dug a hole in the ground. She was about to simply lay Chara down in the ground and cover him up, but as she stared into his pale, lifeless face, she broke down and hugged him close to her body. Franley could hear her painful cries, and it broke his heart. After she finished having her last goodbyes, she laid Chara in the hole, and lovingly covered him up. Shortly after she left him to rest in peace, golden flowers started sprouting from the grave.

"Whoa. That's beautiful and sad at the same time."

The scene switched. Asriel was sneaking past his dad to where Chara's contained soul is. He found it, and opened the jar. The soul floated out, and glowed as it danced around Asriel. Asriel giggled a bit and attempted to hug the soul.

"So, how do we do this, Chara? I've never absorbed a soul before," asked Asriel.

The King was walking by, and noticed his son with Chara's soul.

"Sto-!"

But it was too late. Asgore watched as his son somehow absorbed Chara's soul, and transformed into an all powerful being.

"Wh-what are you?" asked Asgore.

"I am the God of hyperdeath! Don't worry, dad. We'll be back with six human souls! This was all part of Chara's master plan to save everyone," said Asriel.

Before Asgore could protest, Asriel flashed by him and went all the way back to the room where Chara was buried. Asriel shook his head rapidly to gain control.

"What are we doing here? Dad put you in a coffin."

His head shook again and his eyes turned red.

"Mom brought me here to bury me."

With that, Asriel began digging until he found Chara's body. He picked up the body, and flew super fast to the barrier. Franley was feeling a sense of dread.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that they don't free the monsters," shook Franley.

Asriel, holding Chara's body, went through the barrier. Franley watched as the transformed monster breathed in fresh air and took in the sunlight.

"See this sight, Asriel? Soon, this will all belong to the monsters!"

Laughing maniacally, he flew to the village of where Chara came from. He found a bed of golden flowers and laid Chara down on it. Humans began screaming, and attacked the monster.

"Asriel! We have to fight them! They won't show mercy," said the creature.

"No! If I attacked them, it would feel like I'm attacking you! Everyone deserves mercy. Mom taught me that."

Franley watched in complete horror as the humans struck the monster with everything they had. The creature clutched Chara's body, smiled, then fled back to the underground in the room where Frisk had fallen to. The creature was on its knees, still holding Chara, and suddenly, it collapsed and turned to dust. Franley realized, the red soul had a white outline, much like his own, but the whole thing fell apart and turned to dust. Moments later, Asgore and Toriel found their son's dust with Chara's lifeless body in the middle of it.

"No. Not Asriel, too! They were only children," sobbed Toriel.

Asgore looked shocked, and then he looked furious.

"So, the humans have once again taken everything from us. Toriel, I promise that I will end our suffering. Every human that falls down will be slain until we get all seven human souls. When we break the barrier, we will wage war against humanity for their cruelty!" promised Asgore.

"I know he's upset, but why won't he just fuse with a human soul and take six souls from the humans? I feel that if the fusion hadn't shown mercy, they could have pulled it off," Franley asked out loud.

Toriel's features twisted into a furious scowl.

"Get. Out!" screamed Toriel.

His dream seemed to fast forward itself while still showing everything that happened up until his mother fell down and met Flowey and Toriel.

"Chara. This is all just a bad dream. Stay determined!"

Franley woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He didn't notice Asriel's essence fade away.

"So. That's what happened to my uncles. Alphys created Flowey... by accident. And he used to be a she? Could that part have just been part of my dream or was that part of the flashback itself? I'll ask mom when I make it back home with dad. She'll have to tell me when I tell her what I've seen," Franley said to himself.

He felt refreshed. Wondering how much time passed, he looked at his phone and was amazed that only a couple minutes have passed. Shrugging it off, he got himself up, stretched, and looked around the room some more. He looked in the wardrobe and saw many striped shirts. They were all too small for him, so he closed it back up. He left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked down the hall, and saw another door. The door said "Toriel". He walked in and was nearly blinded with how bright blue it was.

"Compared to the rest of the house, this room's color is super vibrant and bright. I guess in a way, this room was her sunlight underground," squinted Franley.

He saw another one of her diaries open with a red circle around a passage. Curious, he walked over.

"Normally I wouldn't read diaries, but I already read her true diary, so whatever is in this one can't be anything really juicy anyway," Franley said to himself.

He looked at the passage.

"Why did the skeleton want a friend? She was feeling bonely!"

He chuckled until he realized she may have been talking about how she felt through this humor. He walked over to her drawer, and opened it.

"Scandalous! Oh. This is just her sock drawer," said Franley.

He closed the drawer, and looked at her bed. It was massive.

"That's definitely bigger than a twin sized bed."

He tried turning off the light in the room. The room went from shining like the sun to shining like the moon. It was better though. Leaving the room, he noticed a third door.

"Room under renovations. Is there something in there?"

He opened the door, but the room was empty. Sighing, he closed it. He went to check himself in the reflection.

"It's you," Franley stated to himself.

He walked back down the hall, and went down the stairs after deciding he had explored everything in the house. He walked and walked until he made it to a door with a delta rune on it.

"I wonder what that symbol means."

He snapped a picture of it with his phone's camera and went through the door. The hallway was so long he couldn't see the end of it.

"I made it this far, so I should keep going."

Feeling determined to see the end of this long hallway, he started walking. He eventually made it to a very big door. Using all the strength he had, he pushed it open and fell into the snow. He was cold, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He got back up on his feet, and started to walk forward as he held onto his determination.


	10. Snowdin Forest

AMS

SNOWDIN FOREST

"Oof!" Franley said as he tripped while pushing open the heavy door and face planted into the snow.

Confused, he looked up.

"How is there snow underground? Could it possibly be magic related? Maybe..." thought Franley.

He got himself up. A gust of...wind? A gust of wind somehow is underground and blew past Franley, making him shiver.

"Okay! The snow is weird enough. But wind? Wait. This isn't wind from the surface. This wind is some strange phenomenon down here, I can tell. First of all, it smells and feels different from regular wind. The faster I get moving, the less I will freeze," shook Franley.

His legs were numb already, but he moved them one leg at a time through the snow, and he held fast to his determination to get through this ordeal. On the ground ahead, he noticed a very large broken branch. He inspected each piece. Somehow, even though it was broken, each piece was too heavy to pick up. Breathing heavy from trying to pick up a piece, he gave up on it and continued. Eventually he came to a bridge that had extremely wide bars.

"Was this supposed to stop someone? If it was, whoever made it did a pretty bad job," thought Franley.

He came to a clearing with a conveniently shaped lamp and a sentry station.

"I'm hungry already. Maybe there's something over there I can possibly eat?" wondered Franley.

He walked over to the sentry station and looked behind it. There were bottles of ketchup, mustard, and relish.

"I am hungry, but I'm not hungry enough to drink condiments. I'll just keep going. I am planning on saving the pie for later, but if I start starving, I will eat the pie. Or at least half of it. It is a big slice," decided Franley.

He also decided he should play it safe and take one ketchup bottle. Items so far: Butts Pie, Toy Knife, Gameboy, Batteries, Ketchup. Spaces left: 5.

"I only have five spaces left. I should always leave at least one space open just in case? Nah. That would defeat the purpose of ten pocket spaces. I'll figure something out. He tried to read the lazy handwriting on the sentry station, but wasn't determined enough to read chicken scratch.

"Now, I'm usually not this undetermined to just give up on something, but whoever wrote that was just extremely lazy! It couldn't have been my dad, his handwriting is more elegant than mom's."

Chara showed up laughing.

"Dude, you probably won't believe me, but that station was your dad's. Even though it's made out of cardboard, it's a sentry station for the Royal Guard. Trust me when I say that after I died, the Royal Guard was something to fear. For the other fallen children that is. For some reason, the other human children only reset and loaded for a short while until they gave up and let themselves stay dead. They weren't determined enough to keep going. But yeah, your dad used to be extremely lazy," explained Chara.

Franley just stared at the chicken scratch and sentry station in disbelief. He refused to believe Chara.

"Heh, you're just joshing me. Aren't you?" asked Franley.

Chara wasn't laughing anymore. They had a serious expression and just shook his head no. He knew why Sans used to be so lazy, and it's a now depressing thought for Chara, since he's all good and everything now.

"Unfortunately, I'm not kidding you. There was a...depressing reason for his laziness. But, if you keep going, you might find out for yourself. If for some reason you don't find out by the time you make it back home with your dad, call for me, and I'll explain. The only reason why I hope you find out another way, is because just thinking about it is making me emotional," said Chara.

Franley was intrigued. His dad was always smiling, strong, and all around an amazing dad and King.

"Depressing? Nothing about my dad is depressing! He's always joking around, he's always so strong! Chara, my dad is...gone for now. But when he comes back, he won't hesitate to get us back home. He's the King!" said Franley, who was close to tears.

He couldn't imagine his father anything but amazing. He refused to think of his dad, who had died a horrible way, any less than what he was. A King who loved his Queen and son and his whole kingdom. He thought of his mom in the same high regards. For now. Chara smiled sympathetically.

"Kid, I know you love your parents and think so highly of them. You should always love your parents, no matter what happens. But, knowing what you will inevitably find out down here, you may not hold them both in such high regards. But don't put them down in your mind either. They are better now than who they used to be. They still love you, and want what's best for you. Remember that people change for the better, and others for the worse. There's me, for example. I changed for the better. Then there was Monster Kid who changed for the worse. You never met him, because when your mom was sixteen, he killed himself. Life changes in many different directions for every individual," softly spoke Chara.

Franley looked right at Chara, and even though he knew he had a dark past, could once again see him as his loving uncle who cares deeply for others.

"Thank you," said Franley.

Surprised to see his lesson take immediate effect, he smiled and nodded. They fist bumped (or tried to) and Chara disappeared. Franley looked back at the chicken scratch on the cardboard sentry station, and he suddenly felt a sense of unease of what he might find out about his father. He looked again behind the station, and noticed something he hadn't noticed before. The ketchup bottles say "with 5% alc." Eyes widening, he took out the ketchup bottle he grabbed, and smashed it. He smashed all the ketchup bottles on the ice. After he was done, he noticed how it looks like he murdered someone.

"Heh, that's a laugh. All I did was murder ketchup with...something no one should accidentally eat on their food."

His hands were numb and had ketchup on them. Wait no, that was blood.

"Shoot! I cut my hands! And there's no bandaids. Guess I'm gonna rewind time so I can just throw them behind the trees," sighed Franley.

He rewinded time enough so his hands were no longer cut up, and this time took all the bottles, and threw them in the forest part of Snowdin forest. He looked at his hands, and smiled.

"Ha. Thought you could get yourself beat up, huh? Well, too bad for you! I can rewind!" cheered Franley.

He was so pumped.

"Hey, I can literally get as damaged as I possibly can just before death, and rewind! It would be so surreal! I shouldn't go seeking to damage myself though. It would be stupid and reckless," said Franley to himself.

Suddenly he thought of Candy. Then he looked at his phone.

"I wonder if I could still call her..."

He dialed her number, and to his surprise, it rang!

"Hello?" asked Candy.

"Hey, Candy! It's me," said Franley.

"FRANLEY? WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU? IT'S BEEN TWO DAYS AND NO ONE HAS SEEN YOU OR YOUR DAD! FRISK IS LOSING HER MIND! She may not show it around others because she's the Queen, BUT I CAN TELL SHE CRIES AT NIGHT! HER EYES ARE PUFFY!" yelled Candy.

Franley was shocked.

"Two days? No. It's only been a couple hours," said Franley.

"WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU THAT YOU THINK IT'S ONLY BEEN A COUPLE HOURS?" demanded Candy.

He didn't want to lie to his best friend.

"Listen, and don't interrupt me. I want to tell you everything that's happened so far, but one interruption and I'm hanging up and turning off my phone," started Franley.

Candy on her end was shocked.

"He doesn't sound so innocent anymore. What the heck happened?" thought Candy.

"My dad wanted to show me the underground where he and my mom met. I was excited because before his offer, they were always so vague everytime I asked them questions about their past history. So anyway, my dad did something that even I haven't been able to do yet, because just trying it could possibly kill me. He made a shortcut, and we went to this dark room in the underground where only a bed of golden flowers were illuminated. I saved right then and there, because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. He told me it was the room my mom had fallen down in and that the bed of flowers broke her fall, and she only sustained some bruises. Shortly after, vines shot through his body and killed him. A flower had killed my dad. Not only that, this flower thinks I am my uncle Chara who is dead. At first, I tried telling this flower who I was in the midst of my anger and grieving, but it still thought I was Chara. Are you following so far?" asked Franley.

"Yeah, yeah. Dad made a shortcut, went to room where mom fell, flowers broke fall, bruises, flower killed your dad...wait WHAT? A FLOWER KILLED YOUR DAD? That's some freaky stuff right there! A-anyway, continue."

He caught his breath to get ready for more explaining.

"My original plan was to find a weapon down here so I could kill myself and load my last save which was before my dad was killed. He can remember past events, so if I load, he wouldn't hesitate to get us both back home. But then I realized when I found a weapon, that if I did that right away, I wouldn't be able to learn all I can about them. So, I will return with my dad one day, but until we do, know that I'm underground, I am safe, and we will return. Tell my mom you spoke with me and that dad and I are safe, we're just taking a tour of the underground. Don't tell her he died. If she's already as bad as you say she is, she won't be able to handle that. Tell her we're fine," said Franley.

"Okay. I understand what to do. Franley, come back soon. I...we miss you," said Candy.

"I miss you too. Bye," said Franley.

As soon as he hung up, his phone lost service.

"Well, that's just great," frowned Franley.

He noticed his phone's battery was at 80%.

"My phone's battery doesn't drain that quickly. I should just turn it off until I somehow find a way to charge it."

He held a button down until his phone turned off. He had forgotten how cold he was until he looked around and saw he was still in Snowdin Forest. Shoving his hand in his pant pockets, he trudged forward. Items: Gameboy, Toy Knife, Batteries, Butts Pie. Space left: 6. He then came across another sentry station. This one had clear writing. He read it, and laughed at the end.

"Oh man, this was Papyrus' station? And yet it says here he wasn't even part of the Royal Guard. He is now, but all the Royal Guard does is babysit me whenever mom and dad have to attend something important. But, Chara said they used to be something to fear for the other human children who fell down here. Apparently they kept getting killed until they lost their determination. That's...depressing," said Franley somberly.

Shuddering, he kept walking. He came to a crossroads. There was a sign in the middle of slippery ice, and there were two paths. One north, and the other right across from where he was standing. Curious of what the sign said, he aimed himself to slide until he can grab the side of the sign. He jumped on and slid over. He clumsily grabbed hold of the sign as he nearly lost his balance. He carefully brought himself to be in front of the sign, and he read it.

"North, ice, South, ice, West, Snowdin Town, and ice. That's...helpful?" read Franley.

He looked ahead and saw a snowman. It didn't look like a traditional snowman. Wanting to get a better look, he maneuvered around the sign and pushed off in the northern direction. He walked up to the snowman, or should I say, snowmonster. It looked to be a snow version of goat monsters.

"Hello! I am a snowman. A small human once took a piece of me and brought it all the way to the surface! But, I am kept in a small freezer now. She doesn't understand I can't melt. She should have known since she brought me to Hotland and I didn't melt then. So, traveler, would you be so kind as to take a piece of me and bring it very far away? I cannot melt since I am magical. So keep me in your pocket always no matter where you go," asked the snowman.

He suddenly remembered seeing a lone snowball in the freezer once with a note attached to it.

"So that's where that came from! But, I can't take you right now with how things are. But, I promise to come back one day and bring a piece of you very far," said Franley.

"Why can't you take me with you?" asked the snowman.

"You see, someone important to me died. I would have killed myself a loaded a while ago, but I want to see the underground first before I reverse time. Once time is reversed, that important person will take me and him out of the underground and back home on the surface. I still haven't learned how to make shortcuts yet. So, even if I took a piece of you now, it wouldn't matter since once I'm done learning all I can down here, time will be reversed to before I even met you," explained Franley.

"I see. Then, no worries! I am a magical snowman that will never melt. Just please never forget even though I may forget. Life down here is quite boring," said the snowman.

"Don't worry. I got your back. Wait! Is your consciousness still connected to that piece in the freezer?" asked Franley.

"Why, yes it is. It is a piece of me after all. Why?"

"Well, when I make it back home, all I gotta do is put that piece of you in my pocket! So, I don't even have to come back to take another piece when there's a perfectly good piece on the surface right now," said Franley.

"How delightful! Why didn't I think of it?"

"I don't know snowman, but now you don't have to worry about a thing. Well, it was nice meeting you. I gotta get going. I got a long journey ahead, and each moment I spend taking detours is another moments my mom worries needlessly. See ya!"

"Goodbye and good luck, traveler!"

He was filled with so much determination he professionally skidded on the ice over to where the sign said Snowdin Town's direction was in. There was a monster next to an ice cream parlor. So he went up to him and tapped him.

"Hello! Yes, I know the barrier has been broken for years. I was about to leave the underground, until I heard from some monsters who came back from the surface saying how the humans didn't like them one bit. So, because some monsters stayed down here and had families of their own, I had to stay to provide them nice cream, the frozen treat that warms your heart. I have a feeling though, that one day, someone will change the humans' minds about monsters, so that way we can all leave the underground for good. But, it might not happen while I'm still around. I might end up dying before that happens. Oh well. Might as well try to stay cheery! Nice cream! The frozen treat that warms your heart! Now just 25G," said the nice cream man.

Franley counted his gold he picked up from fights he won by sparing monsters. He was shocked to find he had well over 100 pieces of gold. He counted out 25 and paid for one nice cream.

"All I have left are vanilla flavored ones. I hope that's okay," said the man.

Franley nodded in agreement. He was handed a nice cream and he put it in his pocket. Items: Butts Pie, Gameboy, Toy Knife, Batteries, Nice Cream. Space left: 5.

"Thanks, man. When I make it back to the surface, I'll do my best to put in a good word for monsters to the humans. But first, I have to make a lot of human friends since I only have one so far. But, I'll stay determined!" promised Franley.

"Ah. You are a child whose words warm my heart more than my nice cream. Thank you, kind traveler. I will remember you well," said the nice cream man.

"I doubt it. But thank you," thought Franley sadly.

He walked across a bridge that had no support on either side of it. That made Franley nervous.

"Hmm. Maybe practicing my magic down here will be great practice," thought Franley.

Engulfing his entire body with a blue aura, he made himself float over the bridge, and landed on the other side. He took in a couple deep breaths, and his breathing was back to normal in no time.

"Huh. I guess I am getting better after all. It's about time. All those times I spent gasping and nearly choking to death from using my magic were getting old," said Franley to himself.

Standing back up straight, he noticed there was a sign next to him.

"Warning. Dog marriage," he read out loud.

He did a double take and read it again to make sure he read that right.

"How is a dog marriage a warning? Was it a couple that no one liked or something?" he asked himself.

"No one understood that sign, child," said a random monster.

Franley spun around and noticed a small monster on a cell phone while licking something powdery from his hands.

"Who are you? I haven't seen you around before," asked Franley.

"Name's Jerry. Ugh! Do you have the wifi password? I've been trying for so long to crack the code but I still can't get it," asked Jerry.

"No, sorry. I wish I knew the wifi password too," said Franley.

Jerry continued to talk nonsense and wouldn't stop. Franley wanted to be nice and not rude, but he knew time for some reason moved faster on the surface than it did down here. He waited and waited and when Jerry wasn't looking, he ditched him. He looked back and noticed Jerry was still rambling nonsense.

"Man. I hate ditching people who just want to talk, but that was getting ridiculous," thought Franley.

He continued forward but only saw a couple of sentry stations and a dead end.

"Crap. I'm gonna have to somehow sneak past him again," he thought.

He read the signs on the sentry stations.

"His. Hers. These must have belonged to the dog couple that got married," said Franley.

He went back and snuck past Jerry again and made it to the progressing part of Snowdin Forest. He walked and walked until he made it to a friendly small town. He read the large sign.

"Snowdin Town. Heh. I finally made it!" he cheered.

Some of the residents in Snowdin turned and looked at him.

"What? A human? It's been years since a human fell down here. Since we don't need a human soul anymore, I guess we should just be friendly?" the monsters murmured.

A bunny girl walked up to Franley, nervously smiled and extended a hand out. Franley beamed friendly and shook her hand.

"Hello! My name's Franley. I'm the son of Sans and Frisk, the current King and Queen," introduced Franley.

The bunny girl was shocked, just like the other monsters who heard him.

"You're Frisk's boy? I remember Frisk! When she was this tall, she walked into my shop. She had a bandage on her cheek, and she looked so...determined. For some reason, I also remember times where she looked worn out or scared. She was such a cute little thing. Then, when she married that wacky skeleton and they became the King and Queen, I shed a tear because I literally watched her grow up," said the bunny.

"So, that makes him a hybrid and our Prince? It's been so long since we had a Prince. The last ones died. Such a tragic tale. He's our new hope! Maybe he can help us finally get out of here by making the humans not fear us or hate us!" they all murmured.

The bunny looked back at him and was confused.

"If your parents are on the surface, then what are you doing down here? Did your parents tell you so much about the underground that you decided to come check it out?" asked the bunny.

"Uhm, no they didn't tell me anything really. I have my mom's power to save, load, and reset, and now to rewind time. My dad, when he shortcut us to the underground to show me around, was killed by a flower. I will load back to before he died once I learn all I can about their past. But I promise to do what I can to fully save the monsters," said Franley.

The bunny girl nodded.

"Yes. We all remember Frisk's power to save, load, reset, and regenerate. We only knew of it, because she told us about her powers, and showed us her menu. It also explained all the times everyone had deja vu," said the bunny.

Franley nodded.

"Well. Come on in to my shop! If I have something that can help you on your journey, don't hesitate to pick it out! Since your our Prince, you don't have to pay for anything," said the bunny girl.

"A-are you sure?" asked Franley.

"Of course I'm sure! If I had known Frisk was going to be our Queen, I would have offered the same to her."

He walked inside her shop, and she rushed behind the counter and motioned to all her shelves that had many different things on them. He looked around. There was a manly bandanna, tough glove, and some food items. It looked like everything else on her shelves were made out of cardboard and are there for decoration to make her shop look fuller than it was. He recognized the bandanna to be a piece of armor, so he picked out the bandanna and equipped it. For her kindness, he gave her ten pieces of gold as a tip. She bowed graciously and he left. Items: Butts Pie, Gameboy, Batteries, Toy Knife, Nice Cream, Manly Bandanna. Space: 4. He walked forward a bit when he suddenly yawned. He noticed there was an inn, so he went inside. There was another bunny girl.

"Hey. How much is a stay?" asked Franley.

"Just 80G," responded the girl.

He handed her the money, cringing as he saw he wasn't left with much gold after that, took his key and went upstairs to the room. He fell asleep and in his dream, he saw his mother crying herself to sleep. He even saw her desperately trying to reach for Sans in her sleep and woke up crying more. That broke his heart to see his mom like that. She was usually so strong. But here, she was falling apart. He woke up feeling refreshed, and felt more determined to quickly learn whatever he could just to go back home with his dad. He grabbed the key and walked back downstairs.

"Wow, you look refreshed! Which is amazing since you were only up there for two minutes. Here's your money back. You can pay me if you're going to stay a full night," said the bunny.

Franley thanked her and left.

"Well, at least I got my money back," thought Franley.

Walking some more, he came across the extremely tall Christmas tree. The sight filled him with hope and determination. He moved along some more, until he came across a building. The word Grillby's was broken down to Illby's.

"Hey, that sign reminds me of the Grillby's on the surface ran by Fuku, Brent, Naomi, and Kent. Was this their old building? It looks like it's still in use. The lights inside are flashing and changing color, and I can hear loud music," said Franley.

He opened the door and saw something he shouldn't have seen.


	11. Scarred For Life

AMS

SCARRED FOR LIFE

Franley was about to shut the door when a monster pulled him inside by the front of his shirt.

"Ooh! A human fell down! I remember when our Queen, Frisk, first fell down. If it wasn't for her stupid determination power and the constant protection she was given, many of us would have had our way with her. You look so much like her, but with white and brown hair, baby blue eyes, and the fact you're a boy. But, that last part doesn't matter," seductively said a half naked monster.

The constant flash of the lights made it hard for Franley to see. The music was loud, but he could hear everything this monster said crystal clear. His eyes widened in horror and he backed up.

"I-I don't want any trouble. I shouldn't have opened the door. If you'll excuse me," Franley said, his voice firm.

A pair of fuzzy hands grabbed him and pulled him close into the monster's breasts. He looked up in horror and she licked her fangs.

"Don't you wanna have some fun?" purred the monster.

"Lady, I'm just a kid! Let me go! I am your Prince!" demanded Franley.

The monster howled with gleeful laughter.

"No wonder you look so much like her! You're her son! Oh, this is even better! Bertrum! Block the door! We're gonna have some fun with our Princey Prince," said the monster.

A big, burly monster who looked like some kind of bouncer, nodded and side stepped in front of the door. Franley's mind was racing too fast to be able to concentrate on using his magic. For some time, the monsters in that club had their way with him. Hours later, he woke up. He found himself naked and covered in something. It smelled terrible and made him vomit all over the place. He looked at the door. Bertrum wasn't blocking it anymore. He grabbed a table cloth and wrapped it around himself like a robe. He took a couple steps and tripped over something. When he fell down, he saw his pants. He quickly grabbed them, got back up, and made a sprint towards the door. Bertrum quickly got in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Franley's determination to escape spiked so high, that his fists had a purple aura around them, and he decked Bertrum in the face, causing the big monster to have only 1 HP left, and he fell over. He was completely knocked out. Feeling bad, he took out his nice cream and threw it on the monster for when he woke up. He opened the door and fell out onto the snow.

"I have my things? Good. I still have my things."

He looked at his hands. They still had some of the purple aura around them, but it was dying out. He was shaking. Not just from the cold either. He held himself tightly as he sat in the snow, not caring about it being cold. Tears pricked at his eyes, and he cried like a baby. Like a baby who woke up from a bad nightmare, and cried for its mother or father to come and comfort it. He wished he had his mother to hold him. He wished he had some family to soothe his pain. Chara appeared.

"Franley, I'm here now. What's wrong?" asked Chara.

Franley looked up. His whole face was red and wet, and Chara could see the same pain that Frisk felt long ago Franley shakily pointed at the club which he just came out from.

"Why don't you rewind to before this all happens? At least then, you won't have all this gunk on you," suggested Chara.

"It doesn't matter. The scars will still be there. I have my things right here anyway. I'll just go back to the Inn, ask to take a shower, and change back into my pants. Maybe the bunny who owns the shop will have an extra shirt or something," monotonously said Franley.

Chara frowned.

"Please. Whatever happens. Stay determined," pleaded Chara.

"As long as my father remains dead, I will always stay determined to learn what I can and bring him back. Maybe after I take a shower, I should give up on this journey, kill myself, and go home with my dad," said Franley.

Chara felt like that would be the best choice to make, but at the same time, he wanted Franley to know everything. So he stayed quiet.

"Thanks, Chara. I'm sorry to have disturbed your sleep. You can go now. I'd rather be alone for a while anyway."

Chara slowly nodded and faded away. Franley gripped his pants. They felt a little lighter.

"Did I miscount? I did! My knife is missing! Dare I go back in there just for my suicide weapon?"

He stared a while at the building, contemplating his choices.

"It's not worth it. If I found one weapon down here, there's gotta be another one later down the journey. If I have to, I'll pay one of the monsters to kill me just so I can load," Franley decided.

He shakily got up, his loins and thighs aching. Gritting his teeth to bear the pain, he trudged back to the Inn. When he got there, he collapsed from the pain he endured. The bunny running the Inn shot up from her seat and ran over to him.

"Human? Human, stay with me! What do you need?" she asked.

"I...pain...need...food...shower...shirt," he spoke between ragged breaths.

She nodded firmly, went to the back room, and came back with a cinnamon bun, and put it in his mouth. He ate it, and felt the pain going away. He was able to stand up again. She led him to the back, and pointed to where her bathroom is.

"The towels are in the linen closet. I hope you don't mind the soap smelling like cinnamon. As for a shirt, all I have that isn't as girly as the rest of my clothes is a t shirt with a golden flower on it," said the bunny.

She didn't touch him. Not because of the way he looked and smelled, but because she knew why he smelled like that, and knew that if she tried to show him any physical comfort, it would scare him away from her trying to help him.

"Thank you for your help," said Franley.

"You're welcome. Please know...that what happened wasn't at all your fault. The same thing happened to Frisk a lot. I don't know if you know her, but when she became a teenager down here, monsters everywhere took advantage of her all the time," sadly said the bunny.

"She's my mom," answered Franley, his head lowered.

The bunny lady was shocked at first, then nodded.

"Then, on behalf of all the monsters, I sincerely apologize for what happened to you, my Prince," said the woman.

When Franley just nodded and she could see his frown quivering, she quietly left. When he heard the door click, he locked it, went to the bathroom, and locked himself in there. He took off the cloth he had wrapped around himself, and looked in the mirror. Not only was there something smelly all over him, he had bite marks on him, and scratches that littered his front and back. Some of them looked like they were going to form as scars.

Back on the surface...

Candy disrobed in front of the bathroom mirror to get ready for her bath before bed. She stared at her scars from her dad's belt again. This time, she didn't feel angry or sad or depressed. This time, she feels absolutely nothing.

Back underground...

He ran the water, and made it as hot as he could stand it. He didn't want to take a bath just yet. He wanted to first wash off whatever it was that was all over him. As he stepped into the running water, he closed his eyes. He felt as if the water was washing away all of his problems.

"Why don't I just rewind? Maybe, subconsciously, I know to keep these scars. Both mental and physical, as a future reminder to not be so reckless with hasty decisions," thought Franley.

He poured the cinnamon scented soap onto a floofa, lathered it up, and spread it all over his front side. It stung a little bit because of the claw marks that were left on him. He then grabbed a back brush, poured soap on it, and scrubbed his back. Because the bristles are so rough, it hurt him more to use to brush on his back which was also littered with claw marks. He grit his teeth as he scrubbed. The more he scrubbed, the more his mind played flashbacks. When he brought the brush in front of him to rinse it off, it was a little red, indicating he had opened up the wounds that the cinnamon bun had closed up. He rinsed off the brush, and the rinsed off his back, gasping from the pain. When he was done rinsing his back, he nearly fell over from dizziness. When he caught his balance, he tried so hard to remember what the monsters who took advantage of him looked like. But it was so dark except for the flashing lights, that all he can remember seeing were silhouettes. Scary, nightmare fuel silhouettes. He shuddered just remembering the sick smile on the monsters.

"My mother went through that a lot? How is she so happy now? I feel like my whole life is ruined because of that. She doesn't act like someone who was...She really is amazing," said Franley.

He remembered something Core Frisk told him.

"Whatever you learn about your parents, keep in mind they have changed for the better and they love you."

"Something down here will apparently alter how I view my parents. If I can survive what just happened, then I need to stay determined and see this through. Otherwise, it will feel like I went through hell for nothing. No results will mean I have failed. I know now, I will feel a lot better once I accomplish my goal," Franley decided.

He turned off the shower once he was done scrubbing his hair and rinsing it. He then clogged the drain and made a bath with bubbles. Before he got in, he noticed his back was dripping blood on her linoleum floor. He took out the Butts Pie, tore off a small piece, put the rest of it back in his pocket, ate it, and felt his skin sowing itself together. Once he felt the last piece of his skin sow together, he got in the bath, and allowed sleep to overtake him. Going through that whole thing left him exhausted. He had a dream. A nightmare really. He saw a sixteen year old version of his mother, dancing at a club, getting paid only 200 gold, unlike the other dancers who were making much more than that.

"Mom? Why is she dancing? How am I able to tell that's her even though she's wearing a disguise? Oh well. Logic flies out the window I guess," said Franley.

In the distance, he could hear glass shattering and Undyne freaking out.

When he saw Frisk's shift had ended, she walked to the back where an office was.

"Alright, Mettaton NEO. Let's make this quick. I gotta get back home," said Frisk.

In his horror, he watched a tall, handsome robot make out with his young mother.

"Was she cheating on dad?"

When they broke the kiss, Frisk scowled at him as she wiped her mouth.

"You're lucky I need this money to help Sans pay the bills at hour house," spat Frisk.

"Oh ho ho! Yes, lucky me indeed. See you tomorrow, doll," winked Mettaton NEO.

The scene switched, and he saw his mother climb a ladder up to her old bedroom window. When she got in, she took off her costume, threw it in her closet behind her other clothes, and without putting on a nightgown, flopped on her bed without covering.

"Well this is weird to see," said Franley.

Seconds later, an...older? Sans opened the door to her room, and internally freaked out as he quickly shut her door. Franley chuckled at his dad's response.

"Guess he wasn't expecting that. Which is funny because they made me," laughed Franley.

He saw his older dad rub his skull in an attempt to snap out of it, and he went back to his old room to get ready for work. Franley woke up.

"Whoa. Now, are these real events that actually happened? That can't be since my dad appeared much older than mom in that dream. They're only a few years apart," wondered Franley.

He shook it off. He noticed the water in the tub was luke warm now. He drained the tub, stepped out, put his pants on, and put the t shirt on. He looked in the mirror.

"I don't feel any better, but I definitely look a lot better. That's a step forward I guess," Franley muttered to himself.

He stepped out of the bathroom with the table cloth pinched between his fingers as he dragged it with him.

"I wish I could get rid of this thing with a shortcut," wished Franley.

Nothing happened, but he had wished his determination would have helped him make one. He unlocked the door and stepped out.

"Oh! Do you feel better? You were in there so long. I could have unlocked the door to check up on you, but I figured you probably wanted your space, so I resisted the urge," said the bunny.

"Oh, uh, I don't feel better, but I know I am clean now. Thank you for all you've done for me, and thank you for giving me space," thanked Franley.

She nodded and extended a hand.

"What? Payment?" asked Franley.

She giggled.

"No, silly. The cloth. I'll take care of that for you."

He looked at it and then back at her. He smiled a bit and handed her the cloth. She dragged out an interdimensional trash can and threw it in there.

"There! Now, it will aimlessly float through space forever," said the bunny.

She put the lid back over it.

He thanked her again as she handed him a coat and gloves, they waved each other goodbye, and he set out. This time, he couldn't even look at the building as he passed it. When he was away from it, he looked up and saw the house he saw in his dream.

"So it was real? Then how was my dad much older than her in the dream? What happened? And who was the sick robot?" he asked himself.

He walked towards the house. This time, before just opening doors, he peered through the windows. It was pitch black in there. He opened the door and walked in.

"It's pretty dark in here."

He felt along the wall for a light switch, and when he found it, he turned on the lights. There was a rock on a table with sprinkles. The kitchen had the usual things in it, minus extras. Other than that, the house looked empty.

"Huh. So this is where my mom and dad lived. It's pretty nice. And it's warm in here," said Franley.

He took off his coat and gloves, sat them down on the table, and walked upstairs. He knocked on the door that used to belong to his mom. He heard no response, so he went in. The room wasn't empty. There was still her bed that he saw from his dream and there was a diary on top of it. It had a lock.

"Where's the key?"

He looked under her old pillow, looked in the pillow case. He looked everywhere until he found it under the bed's mattress. He unlocked the diary and read it. When he finished reading it, he closed it and sat it back down.

"So, mom was dancing for that robot to be able to help dad pay for the bills to this place until Mettaton EX found out and her and Sans put a stop to it. Then, mom got offered a job by Mettaton EX, and she and dad moved back here to live. But based on the things she wrote in here, she also allowed herself to be tortured and...for forty days by Fuku's dad, Grillby, just to find a way to save Naomi. It's no wonder I sometimes see Naomi looking at my mom with such adoration in her eyes," said Franley.

He looked at it again, and noticed it said "1".

"Does she have another diary?"

He looked everywhere in the room and closet, but he didn't find the second one. He left the room and went to go look in his dad's old room. There was a diary, this time unlocked, leaned up against the wall. He went to go read it, but only a couple pages were filled in.

"Dad's age was reversed with a device that Alphys created? Huh. That's really weird," said Franley.

He re read the part that said how Frisk was afraid to load anymore because of side effects.

"So loading when you're a teenager can have side effects. That's good to know. It's also good that I'm not a teenager yet. Though with how much time passes on the surface versus here, I might turn thirteen sooner than expected. I gotta keep a move on," said Franley.

He closed the barely used diary, sat it down, and left the house.


	12. Echoes Of The Past p1

AMS

ECHOES OF THE PAST P.1

After successfully hiding the diaries under the floor tiles in the kitchen, Franley put on his new fluffy coat and gloves. He walked out the house where his mother and father once lived, looked back at it and smiled. He looked in the direction that left out of Snowdin, and saw how foggy it is. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself for whatever would come next. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he started walking there. Walking through the fog, until a small voice called out to him. He turned around, and didn't see anyone.

"Hello?!" he called out.

"Please wait!" called out the tiny voice.

Very soon, he saw a little pink dinosaur monster child. His heart melted she was so adorable. He knelt down so that they were eye level.

"Yes, kid? What can I help you with?" smiled Franley.

"I just wanted to come with you! I asked my parents if I could walk out to the middle of Waterfall and back as a workout since I got bored of just walking around Snowdin, but they told me I shouldn't go alone! Parents suck, ha. A-anyway, I know I don't know you and you don't know me, but can I come with you?" asked the little girl.

"Sure, but I'll have to walk you back, okay? If you're really not allowed going alone to Waterfall, then that means you shouldn't be alone going back. Also, it's really dangerous to just talk to strangers. I'm the Queen and King's son, so I'm trustworthy, but promise me that from now on, you won't talk to monsters or people you don't know," said Franley as he held out his pinky.

"Oh! I promise!" excitedly said the girl as she wrapped her small pinky around his.

Franley stood up.

"Alright then, let's go," said Franley.

The fog mysteriously disappeared just then, catching Franley and the little girl by surprise. They smiled at each other and began walking forward. They came to a clearing where there was another sentry station and a tall neon blue flower.

"By the way, kid, what's your name?" asked Franley.

"Prisk! What's yours?"

"Heh, that almost sounds like my mom's name. Her name is Frisk by the way. My name is sorta an amalgate of my parents names combined, Franley. My dad's name is Sans," explained Franley.

"Oh cool! Mommy and daddy told me stories about Frisk! Is it true that she's a human who shoots lasers out of her eyes?" asked Prisk.

Franley sputtered with laughter.

"Hahaha! No kid! She is a human, but her powers were determination based. Meaning, if she was determined to change fate if need be, then, upon death, she could load a save file. Her determination got so strong that she was able to regenerate after being killed. I have her powers now. If I die, as long as I stay determined, I can also load or reset. I forgot to mention reset before, but, resetting means you start all the way back at the beginning. For some reason, whenever my mom reset, she told me she would turn back to being 10 years old and just fallen down. Maybe that's what would happen to me if I tried resetting. Not being ten part, but ending back up in that room too," said Franley.

"Wow! Want to try it out?" cheerily asked the girl.

"Normally I would want to experiment with my power, but not this time. If I load or reset, I have to leave the underground for a very long time, and my plan right now is to see the underground and learn about my parents' past," said Franley.

"Okay! By the way, that flower over there, I heard that's an echo flower! It repeats the last thing it heard over and over again," explained Prisk.

Franley got an idea then knelt down to her.

"These flowers could possibly help me find out more about my mom and dad. So, whenever we're around echo flowers, let's not speak okay?" whispered Franley.

Prisk smiled and nodded her head. Getting back up, Franley walked over to the echo flower and listened close.

"Hey, kid. What? Ever see a guy working two jobs before? Luckily two jobs means twice as many legally required breaks. I'm about to go to Grillby's. Wanna come? Alright. I'll pry myself away from my work. Over here. I know a shortcut."

He backed away from the flower. Prisk had heard it too.

"Who was that?" asked Prisk.

"That was my dad, talking to someone. But all I heard was his voice, so I don't know if he's talking to my mom or someone else," said Franley.

"I know I'm just a kid and my opinion is probably useless to a cool adult like you, but, if your parents are together now and in love, then, does the past really matter? You know, before my parents got together officially, they were dating other monsters until they realized they were miserable without each other," said Prisk.

"Wow! How old are you?" asked Franley.

Blushing and fidgeting nervously, thinking she made him upset, she lowered her head.

"I'm, uh, ten. S-sorry if I offended you!" apologized Prisk.

"No no no! You didn't offend me at all! Also, I'm not an adult. I'm only 12. I have a human friend who is just as mature as you are, and she's 9," said Franley.

Prisk looked back up at him with sparkles in her eyes.

"Really? Then, I can say what's on my mind around you?" asked Prisk.

"Of course!" smiled Franley.

"Yaaayy!"

Prisk wrapped her tiny arms around his neck in an effort to hug him. She was so tiny compared to him, even compared to Candy! He put one hand on her back for fear he would break such a cute, tiny thing by accident. They broke the hug and they kept moving. They came to a room where there was a cheese on a table encased in a crystal, and a mouse hole next to it. Franley eyed the cheese and the mouse hole, wondering how the mouse was going to get the cheese. He was determined that the mouse would one day extract the cheese from the crystal.

"Come on, let's go! I mean, I know the crystallized cheese is pretty cool to look at, but the exercise isn't going to exercise itself! Hehe," said Prisk.

Nodding, he followed after her. She had her eyes closed and was skipping along, but Franley soon noticed the waterfall with falling rocks ahead. Just before her feet fell in the water, he scooped her up protectively. She snapped open her eyes in surprise and saw what he had just saved her from.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! A-a-and thank you!" thanked the little girl.

Franley sighed relief that she was okay, but he held onto her.

"I'm going to carry you across this, okay? It's no wonder your parents didn't want you going alone," said Franley.

"Y-yeah. Right," agreed Prisk.

Holding onto her, he eyed the pattern that the rocks were falling in. Thinking he had the pattern down in his head correctly, he lunged forward. They almost made it, until a couple rocks hit them and pushed them down the waterfall. They were falling, Prisk was screaming and crying, but Franley was just shocked. Blinking the confusion away, he brought up the rewind button, and brought them back. She looked like she did in his arms before they fell, but because she was so startled when he first saved her, he had no idea if she remembered or not.

"Hey. Do you remember anything scary that recently happened?" asked Franley.

"Just that I was about to aimlessly walk in this waterfall with rocks falling. But you picked me up and saved me!" said Prisk.

He sighed.

"It's a good thing she doesn't remember. I wouldn't want that to haunt this little girl's dreams," he thought.

He closed his eyes and thought about his mistake last time. Snapping open his eyes, he was confident he had it this time. Unfortunately, he made the same mistake by accident. But, determined to make it, when he saw the pair of rocks coming, he leapt over them and landed back on his feet in the water. Watching the rocks fall down, he smirked, and walked them both over to the other side, and he set her down.

"Wow! You were awesome!" cheered Prisk.

Breathing heavy due to crashing from the adrenaline rush, he smiled up at her and tried to draw even breaths. His hands were extremely sweaty under his gloves.

"Huh. It's been a while since I actually sweated this much," thought Franley.

Once he was able to completely calm himself down, he got up, and they continued forward. They came to a bridge made of flowers.

"That doesn't look very safe," Franley thought out loud.

Prisk stopped before it just to let Franley determine whether or not it would be safe to cross it. He picked up a rock nearby and threw it on the bridge. It made a thump sound against the aligned bridge seeds, and to his surprise, the bridge didn't budge.

"Okay. It's safe to cross. Let me just get rid of the rock in the way," said Franley.

He got rid of the rock, and to his surprise, also making him think he was losing it, the rock grew a mouth and was screaming as it fell.

"Did...did I just kill a rock? Is it even possible to kill a rock? No. I just sent that sentient rock to the abyss forever," he thought to himself.

He tried to forget about it, but then he remembered that Core Frisk said any little thing can drastically alter his good ending. Sighing, he sent time back to before he even asked if it was safe.

"Just, watch your step, okay?" said Franley.

When Prisk made it over, Franley heard something.

"Pssst! Over here! I'm a rock!" loudly whispered the rock.

Franley walked over to the rock.

"Yeah, dude?"

"Hey. I know what you did to me last time. You pushed me to the abyss!" said the rock.

"How do you remember that?!" asked Franley.

"Some of us, like Sans, remember buddy. Just keep that in mind. Don't worry, I'm a forgiving rock. I just called you over here so I could warn you. Think before you act, and consider all options! Even the ones that don't seem likely, and look for a solution that can benefit everyone, not just yourself," warned the rock.

"Okay. Thank you."

Franley ran to catch up to Prisk.

"Mmm. I liked his coat," said the rock.

When Franley caught up to Prisk, she was patiently waiting near a glowing mushroom. Franley looked around the room and noticed there were two bridge seed paths to take.

"Took ya long enough! Hey, if you're tired, there's a bench over this way. We can sit and maybe even nap if you need," said Prisk.

Franley nodded at that. He could use a quick rest. He knew down here it would only be a couple minutes, but on the surface, it would be hours. But, how can one possibly complete a huge task without taking care of themselves? It's just not possible, nor is it worth it. They carefully crossed the bridge seed path to the bench, and Franley laid down on the bench. Prisk climbed up on his chest and he held onto her to make sure she wouldn't fall off, and they dozed off. Then he had a dream.

"What? Haven't you seen a guy work two jobs before? Luckily, two jobs means twice as many legally required breaks. I'm about to go to Grillby's. Wanna come?"

Frisk rapidly nodded.

"She's so small, like Prisk. Is she the same age as Prisk here? Ten?"

Sans chuckled lightly.

"Alright. I'll pry myself away from work. This way, I know a shortcut."

Frisk followed Sans. The scene changed, and they were in Grillby's.

"Whoa. This was Grillby's before everything went haywire? It was so nice! Why couldn't it have stayed nice like this? Such a shame that people sometimes change for the worse and ruin good things like this right here. Those dogs are wearing armor. Were they part of the Royal Guard?" Franley thought out loud.

Franley watched in amusement as everyone greeted Sans.

"Heya Sansy~"

Franley growled low in his throat at that monster.

"Stay away! He belongs to my mom!" he raised his fist in anger.

"Here, kid. Take a seat," said Sans.

Then, a loud fart sounded for a few seconds straight. Frisk looked over at Sans with a small glare while Sans was just grinning even wider than before.

"Whoops. Careful where you sit. Sometimes weirdos put whoopie cushions on seats," said Sans.

Frisk sighed and shook her head before returning to her usual poker face.

"Mom doesn't seem to be happy or sad here. I wonder why she has that poker face. Also, is that Fuku's dad right there? He looks so nice here. He's even smiling at Sans and Frisk and carefully wiping his wine glasses. When did he turn into a pedophile?" wondered Franley.

"So kid. Whaddaya want to eat? Burger or fries? Oh. That's right. You don't talk much. Here's a menu. But all I can do is afford a burger or fries," said Sans.

Frisk looked at them, then pointed at the fries.

"Hey that sounds pretty good. Grillby, we'll have a double order of fries," said Sans.

Grillby politely nodded, sat the glass carefully down, and walked to the back. Sans scratched his nonexistent butt.

"Dad! Hahaha! You don't have a butt! Unless he makes one with his magic, but it doesn't look fuller!" laughed Franley.

"So, what do you think?"

Frisk turned her head at him and cocked it quizically.

"Of my brother?"

Franley was so amused by this scene. He couldn't help but smile like a fanboy. Frisk shot a thumbs up.

"Of course he's cool. You'd be cool too if you wore that outfit. He'd only take it off if he absolutely had to. Oh well. At least he washes it. By that I mean he wears it in the shower."

Franley laughed. Papyrus was no where near being like that now. He changed his clothes everyday, and he mostly wore suits now. Grillby came out with the plates of fries and sat them down, then put a bottle of ketchup between the plates and went back to wiping his glasses.

"Here comes the grub. Want some ketchup?"

Frisk nodded. She tipped the bottle, but the cap fell off and the whole bottle of ketchup went onto the fries. She frowned and held her aching stomach.

"Poor mom. She was so hungry. Dad sometimes goes overboard with his jokes it seems," said Franley.

Sans noticed her holding her stomach and felt bad. He shoved his plate in front of her. She looked at him with shocked eyes.

"Ah, forgeddaboutit. You can have mine. I'm not hungry anyway," winked Sans.

Franley smiled.

"You're a liar, dad. You were hungry. You just knew you went overboard with the pranks and felt bad," whispered Franley.

Frisk was near tears, but steeled her emotions and nodded and gave a thumbs up, then started eating the fries, dipping them into the ketchup on the other plate. Sans combed his non existent hair, causing Franley to laugh some more.

"Hey. I wanna ask you something," said Sans seriously.

Frisk, not wanting to be rude, put down the food and faced him. He snapped his fingers and a lone spotlight was on them with everyone and everything else frozen.

"Have you ever heard of a talking flower?"

"There's no way mom knew about the echo flowers yet unless she made it that far and reset. So, if she doesn't know about the echo flowers yet, she could be thinking of Flowey," said Franley.

Frisk cringed and nodded.

"So you know all about it. The echo flowers. Say something to them and they repeat the last thing they heard over and over," said Sans.

Frisk looked confused since she thought he was talking about Flowey at first.

"What about it? Well, my brother told me something strange. Sometimes, when no one's around, a flower appears and says weird things to him. Flattery, advice, encouragement, predictions. Someone must be using an echo flower to pull a prank on him. Keep an eye out for him okay?"

Frisk nodded and Sans warmly smiled.

"Thanks."

The spotlight disappeared, causing the whole room to go back to its vibrant orange and everyone and everything moved again. Sans got up from his chair.

"Welp, that was a long break. I can't believe I let you pull me away from work that long," said Sans.

Frisk was still sitting on her stool, her legs not even being able to reach the floor yet. For the first time, her expression wasn't blank. She was mystified somewhat. Sans stopped near the door, and turned around.

"Oh yeah, I was gonna ask you something. But I forgot," said Sans, winking.

He left. Frisk was about to eat the rest of the fries when Grillby scooped it up.

"It's cold by now," said Grillby.

Frisk still felt hungry, but it wasn't as painful as before. She left the restaurant, pulled out a cinnamon bun and ate it. She ate a couple of them until she felt full. Counting her gold, she went and bought some more. The scene changed where Frisk made it back to his sentry station in Waterfall.

"That was fun. We should hang out again sometime," winked Sans.

Franley woke up. He looked down at Prisk who was still asleep in his arms.

"She doesn't even snore. So precious," smiled Franley.

He thought deeply about his dream.

"They sure did have some chemistry during that time, but it looked like neither of them wanted to admit it to each other yet. It makes sense since before my dad was aged down near her age, he was an adult. He hasn't even met Toriel face to face yet. But from my mom's journal, when they do meet, they get together for a while while she lives with dad and uncle Papyrus. Papyrus was married to Mettaton EX! I still can't believe that. I wonder if she divorced him because of how silly he used to be," thought Franley.

The little monster girl shifted before stretching and yawning. When she fluttered open her eyes, she realized she had fallen asleep on an older boy. Blushing, she slid off him.

"Sorry about that! B-but, I would have slept on the ground if it wasn't so hard!" said Prisk.

Franley laughed a bit. She was just too cute.

"Don't worry about it! I'm your new friend, so I didn't mind," said Franley.

"Phew! I'm glad," smiled Prisk.

They walked back to the glowing mushrooms and crossed the other bridge to the Wishing Room.

"There sure are a lot of echo flowers here. Okay, gotta listen to each one," thought Franley.

He walked up to the closest echo flower.

"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling... "

Intrigued, he went to the next one.

"Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The King will prove that."

"C'mon, sis! Make a wish."

"I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday."

"Ah...Seems my horoscope is the same as last weeks..."

Not wanting to change the echo flowers' messages, they quietly left the room and walked onto a bridge.

"I wish there was more to that. I was intrigued!" said Franley.

"I was too! It sounded like the monsters who went to the wishing room were full of hope that the King will prove that wishing together can't be wrong! They said something about wanting to see the real stars someday. Now that makes me want to see the real stars too!" said Prisk.

"Hey, there are messages on the wall over here. This one says 'the war of humans and monsters'," read Franley.

He read the glyphs out loud but decided not to describe the disturbing image of a monster absorbing a human soul.

"She doesn't need this in her mind," he thought.

"So? What does it say?" asked Prisk.

He turned around and smiled nervously.

"I can't make out what it says, sorry. Whoever did this one was bad at writing," lied Franley.

He inwardly cringed. He knew he was bad at lying. Prisk knew he was lying, but also decided to trust his judgement.

"Okay. Well, let's go!"

They came to a floating tile that was only big enough for two feet. He picked Prisk up on his shoulders and then stepped onto the tile. The tile took them all the way over to a spooky bridge. He stepped off and sat Prisk down, watching the tile float away.

"I wonder how I'm gonna be able to get her back. I'm sure we'll figure out something," thought Franley.


	13. Echoes Of The Past p2

AMS

ECHOES OF THE PAST P.2

The lighting was eerie on the bridge, and it made the hairs on Franley's neck stand on end. He constantly checked behind them, and even in the dark shadows beside the bridge. He thought at any moment, someone or something scary would pop out and try to kill them. Prisk didn't seem at all affected by the eerie aura surrounding the bridge, and instead, skipped along ahead and often ran back if she saw she got too far ahead of him. She was a bouncy little thing who didn't fear the dark. It was almost as if her own energy was her own flashlight. When they finally reached the end of the bridge, Franley calmed down.

"Man, I don't know why I was so afraid. It was just shadows and darkness. I gotta stop letting what happened cloud my judgement of simple everyday things," thought Franley.

He was calm, until he saw the huge tall field of grass before him, with even more shadows than the bridge had. Prisk grabbed his hand.

"We won't get lost this way," she smiled.

Smiling shakily back, he forced his jello legs to press onwards.

On the surface...

"Geez! I wonder how long it's going to take Sans to show Franley around the underground! It's been a whole month already!" said Frisk, angrily cooking dinner.

Papyrus came into the kitchen.

"There's something you should know about the time differences. I found this out when I visited my old home once just for memories sake. A couple minutes down there is a couple hours up here. So, they only spent half a month down there," said Papyrus.

He opened the fridge and grabbed a hot sauce bottle.

"Really? There's a time difference? Then, why didn't I drastically age when we reached the surface?" asked Frisk.

"I dunno. All I know is there is a time difference. Maybe it's like this...you age slower underground. So, looking at you right now, I just realized. You don't even look 32. You look like you're still in your early twenties," said Papyrus.

Frisk gasped. Then immediately rushed over to the small mirror in the kitchen and looked at her features.

"I never noticed before! So, while we all age faster than those underground, Franley and Sans will come back not looking that much older," said Frisk.

Sipping the hot sauce a bit, he pulled it back.

"Precisely," said Papyrus.

"Oh, I just worry about them. I know Flowey is still there, so I'm not sure if he's following them or not," said Frisk.

"Franley's with Sans. Sans will watch over him and take care of him. They'll be back," said Papyrus.

"Yeah. You're right. Sans is strong. They can safely take the tour and get back," agreed Frisk.

Back underground...

"See? We made it through!" said Prisk.

Franley looked behind him. The grass didn't look or seem as threatening as before suddenly, and again, he felt silly. They walked until they came to light blue, glowing water. Looking ahead, he saw a platoon of echo flowers. He lightly shook Prisk and pointed at them, smiling wide. She also smiled.

"Maybe they'll continue where we left off," whispered Prisk.

Franley nodded rapidly, getting excited. They rushed over to the closest echo flower, and leaned in the listen.

"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?"

"...hmmm, just one but...it's kinda stupid."

"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh."

"I wish to climb this mountain we're all under and see the real stars someday."

They heard laughter, and frowned at that monster for laughing.

"Hey! You promised you wouldn't laugh!"

"Sorry. It's just funny. That's my wish too."

They smiled softly at this, knowing the monster wasn't laughing at the other monster, but laughed about them having identical wishes. They made it to another ancient glyph and Franley read it out loud.

"Indeed the humans had nothing to fear. They were too strong and us monsters, too weak. It would take the soul of nearly every monster to equal just one human soul."

He blinked at that.

"Is that why everyone on the surface is afraid to go into a human town? Is that why mom set in place a plan for dad to warp everyone straight to the old castle in case of emergencies? Now it all makes sense," he muttered.

Prisk heard what he said, then suddenly got a little apprehensive around Franley.

"Don't worry, Prisk. Not all humans are bad. I'm half human, but I have a human friend who accepts monsters," said Franley.

Prisk stopped feeling afraid and nodded. They walked, coming up to another bridge with dim lighting. He took a deep breath.

"Don't worry. This is just like the other bridge. Nothing is here. You have Prisk by your side," he told himself mentally.

Soon enough he was determined to face his new fears. He walked and walked and walked when a sound below him sounded. He slowly looked down and saw spikes below him. Noticing Prisk was right next to him, he roughly shoved her backwards, causing her to yelp. He was about to jump out of the way, but was pierced by the spikes.

"NO!" screamed Prisk.

The spikes lowered. He was dead.

"Darn it. Why don't I see my rewind option? Does it not work if I'm all the way dead? No. It can't end like this! I need to make it through! Please. Someone hear my pleas, and let me live again!" cried Franley.

Everything around him turned dark for a minute. Out of the corner of his eyes, something orange was flashing. He shielded his eyes and looked over. He gaped at what he saw.

"The option to regenerate! I can do what mom can now. Right. Here goes," said Franley.

He pressed the button, and his eyes rolled all the way to the back of his head. He slowly opened his eyes and he saw Prisk crying and shaking him, calling out to him. He could baely hear her, everything was fuzzy. He tried moving, but it hurt everywhere. He forced his arm to go up and wipe away Prisk's tears.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm alive," raspily whispered Franley.

She held onto his lukewarm hand. It used to be cold, but since he is alive again, he is regaining his body temperature.

"Franley...please, don't scare me like that," sobbed Prisk.

Her tiny frame shook with each sob and gasp she made, trying to steady her feelings and breathing. He painfully sat himself up and opened his arms. He had dried blood everywhere around him. His wounds were closed, but they were very much sore.

"Come here, kid," Franley said in a raspy way.

Dried blood ran from his mouth to his chin and down his neck. The dried blood cracked a bit when he forced a smile to his lips. Prisk ran into his arms and cried even more as he held her close. While he was holding her, he summoned his menu. Rewind was there in front of him again. Sighing, he closed out his menu.

"It seems I can only rewind if I'm alive," he thought.

On the surface...

"What? Sans is showing Franley around the underground? Uh oh," said Undyne.

"What is it?" asked Frisk.

"Remember that very long bridge with all the traps?" asked Undyne.

Frisk got worried already.

"You never deactivated them," said Frisk.

Undyne cringed and nodded. They stared at each other thoughtfully for a while.

"They'll be fine! Franley has my power to load anyway!" said Frisk, laughing it off.

"Yeah, you're right! I don't know what we were so worried about," sighed Undyne.

Back underground...

Once Prisk stopped shaking, she pulled her head away from his chest, looked up at him, and pecked him on the nose, causing him to blink in surprise. She reached in her pocket and took out a nice cream.

"Here. This should help you feel better. I should have handed it to you sooner, but I couldn't stop crying," sniffed Prisk.

He almost took it.

"Is this the only thing you have on you?" asked Franley.

"No. I never leave home without a lot of food," said Prisk.

Nodding, he accepted the nice cream. Grunting in pain, he unwrapped it, brought it up to his mouth, and ate it. With each bite, the bruises healed and the pain dulled until he felt nothing anymore. When he finished the nice cream, he threw it over the edge.

"Are you ok? Are you going to have nightmares?" asked Franley.

"I know I'm fine. But, as for the nightmares, I don't know if I will or not. I have seen horror movies before a lot and they never really affected me since I knew it was all fake and the dust they used was from dirty homes that collected dust over time. I've never seen a human get hurt before," said Prisk.

He nodded.

"Although, you said you're half monster too, right?" asked Prisk.

"Yes," replied Franley.

"That would explain why your body turned to dust. But since you're also half human, it formed back into your physical body and that's when I began shaking you to wake you up. I thought, if I didn't start shaking you, that you would turn back to dust and stay that way forever," said Prisk.

He looked all around the bridge they were on, and saw how far they had to walk.

"Listen, Prisk. We're going to have to get across this bridge. I would have taken you back home by now, but that tile floated away so the only way to have any chance of getting you back home is to cross this bridge. But, I'm going to make us float over it so that way we won't get hit by the spikes. This is going to be challenging for me since this bridge is pretty long, and the gaps are too wide for me to consider even using my magic across them without getting too tired. This way, I can just make us float over the traps and land safely when I need to rest. Are you ready?" asked Franley.

Prisk wiped away her tears completely, stood up, made a serious face, and nodded. Franley closed his eyes and concentrated. His white hair started to float around his head as if wind was blowing it, then, when he opened his eyes, they glowed the same color as the echo flowers. Soon, his whole body and hers was engulfed with the blue magic, and they levitated. Franley kept his head down, looking over where the traps were and where they weren't. They floated over a good portion of the bridge so far, but Franley was starting to feel out of breath. Looking for a safe spot to land, he set them down. His eyes dimmed back to their deeper blue color, his hair fell, he fell on his hands and knees and began coughing. Prisk pat his back to help him clear his throat and catch his breath. When he was able to catch all his breath, again his hair rose and eyes glowed, and they both floated again. Again, he kept his head down to see where the traps were and where they weren't. By now they were halfway across the bridge. He sat them down safely to catch his breath again. The repeated this process until they made it to a chopped off part of the bridge. He looked down, and saw a pile of golden flowers. Catching his breath, he used his magic to slowly descend them below onto the pile of golden flowers.

"I think we should use this bed of comfortable flowers to take a quick rest," breathed out Franley.

Prisk flopped down, agreeing.

FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERS, GO TO MY ACCOUNT ON WATTPAD TO READ THE NEW CHAPTERS UNTIL I CAN POST MORE CHAPTERS ON THIS SITE. FOR SOME REASON, IT IS NOT LETTING ME UPLOAD NEW CHAPTERS. SO UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, GO TO MY WATTPAD. MY ACCOUNT NAME IS THE SAME AS THE ONE HERE. THANK YOU!


	14. Ch16:True Lab

AMS

TRUE LAB

Franley finally opened his eyes. He was laying down on the cold, hard floor of the dark, broken elevator. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Good thing I gave myself a cushioned fall so I wouldn't have to feel it as much. But, where am I? It's so dark now, even with the door to the elevator open," wondered Franley.

He got himself up, being careful not to fall over. It takes a while, but his eyes adjust to the darkness. Something blips right next to him.

"Whoa! Huh? It's some kind of message. Wait. Are these ' entries? Hmm. Finally! We're getting somewhere again," giggled Franley.

He could hardly contain his excitement of learning new information.

"Time to do what the King has asked me to do. It's time to unleash the power of the soul," read Franley.

He read on down the hallway until he read the last one.

"So, it seems Alphys tried to study soul power to somehow unleash it to attack the barrier, giving them the freedom they had desired. But, I wonder why she failed. Because, obviously, it was my mom who had freed everyone," thought Franley.

He kept walking and came to an area with a vending machine and a large door with four unlit colors on them.

"That's the power room. I gotta find a way to get all the colors up and running so I can get in there," decided Franley.

He tried going right, but the door wouldn't budge.

"It's got red on it. Maybe by going the other way, I can unlock this door to lead to the other colors."

He walked back, and there was some more entries which he read. He was intrigued with all that was happening. He observed the sticky tables.

"The stickiness is white. Kind of like a monster's soul. Are they connected? Alphys did say that she was studying souls. It's weird. Calling Alphys she since she's a he and has been for a while now. But I know, during this time, Alphys was a girl."

He went into a room. There was a red switch. He looked at it, and it looked like there was a key hole. He then noticed the note on the ground.

"Drain...dropped it. Huh? Hmmm. Oh, the sinks!"

He jogged back to the other room, and turned on all the sinks. The third sink had sticky white stuff coming out of it. Franley took a step back.

"Wh-what the?"

A face formed in the goop and smiled at him. Franley's soul was summoned from his chest and put into a battle box, his battle options appearing along with his stats and name. He shakily pressed ACT. He considered his options. He decided to press cell phone. His cell phone was summoned and it was ringing. He answered it and heard voices on the other end telling him to join the fun. He pressed ACT again and, being too scared to join, he pressed refuse to join. They attacked him with faces, and he did his best to dodge all of them. But he ended up being grazed by one. It hurt. Not on the outside. But on the inside. Pressing ACT again, he could see their names.

"Memoryheads? They're all in yellow, meaning I can spare them now."

He exited out of the menu he was in, and selected MERCY, and then spare. They all vanished in a liquid way. Shuddering, he fell to his knees. He noticed a red light coming from the sink that they had appeared in. Getting himself up, he grabbed the red key in the sink, walked back to the red switch room, and put the key in the slot and turned it. The red slot glowed. Smiling at the progress, he walked back, past the power room, and towards the right side where the door was once locked. Franley saw that the red circle on the power room door was glowing red, and that the other door was also glowing red. He walked closer and closer until the door opened, revealing a new hallway.

He walked down the new hallway, reading the entries that he had not seen yet. He got to a room full of beds. One bed had the blanket all the way down, whereas another bed's blanket was messy. It was then that he remembered he had to use the bathroom. He quickly walked into the right hallway from the room, and urinated in a plant pot. Zipping up his pants, he walked back to the bed room. He felt extremely tired, so he crawled into the bed where the blanket was down. He shut his eyes, and a spoon ghost appeared, pulling the blanket over him and patting his head before vanishing. He had a dream.

He saw Alphys walk through here. She looked younger, and of course, female. She walked into the sticky table room. But, this time, the tables are clean, except there being comatose monsters on the beds. She grabbed the red soul that was inside a container of sorts from a work table in there. Alphys then walked to the bed room, where there were more monsters that had fallen down, went north, then left, and put the contained soul in a creepy looking machine. She threw a switch, and the machine started. Soon, red liquid filled another container. Once she got what she needed from the soul, she turned off the machine, unhooked the contained soul from the machine, and quickly made her way back to the table room along with the red liquid in her other hand. Alphys quickly made a new entry. Franley hovered over her, and read what she wrote.

"That red liquid is what she called determination? Huh."

Alphys smiled at the red soul and thanked it. She then grabbed a needle, opened the container of determination, and sucked some up with the needle. She pushed off from where she was sitting, and her chair swiveled over to the monster bodies. She injected them with determination. She grabbed more needles, and put determination in them. Then, she quickly made her way to the room with other monsters who had fallen down. She injected determination into all of them as well.

"Okay. So now, all the monsters should have the will to live," mumbled Franley.

He didn't know why, but his brow was etched with worry. Possibly because he had never seen a monster who had fallen down before, nor had he seen a monster injected with determination from a human's soul.

"That red soul...it couldn't have been my mom's or mine since neither of us were here during this time. That had to have been Chara's soul. Before my mom, he was the most determined human out there. His levels were off the charts! Can the monsters even handle that much determination?" he wondered.

Just like time lapse videos he had seen on MonTube, everything picked up speed. He watched Alphys come in the rooms to check on the monsters, write more entries, pace around the rooms in worry, then go home, and repeat the process. Then, it went normal again, and a monster opened its eyes.

"You're awake! How do you feel?" asked Alphys to the awakened monster.

The monster felt his head and wondered how he was still alive. He looked at Alphys with gratefulness.

"I feel just great! I'm alive! Thank you, Alphys!" he exclaimed.

"No problem! Uh, do you feel...powerful? Like, change fate wise?" asked Alphys with hope.

"Uh...no not really? I feel alive and normal, but that's it," said the monster.

Alphy's glasses clouded over. She sighed in defeat.

"I see. Well, I'm glad you're okay."

A couple days later, all the monsters that had fallen down woke up, moved around, and started talking to one another. Everyone was so happy.

"Huh. I guess they can't use the determination for anything else other than living," decided Franley.

He had thought that, until two monsters laughed and high fived each other.

"What in the world?" he asked at the same time they did.

The monster's hands melted together, and then everyone's faces started to melt as well. Everyone was panicking and shrieking. Alphys backed up into a corner, shaking. She fell into a fetal position and started rocking herself while the monsters she had injected screamed and begged for someone to stop what was happening.

"No no no no no no no no no!" shrieked Alphys.

Tears constantly flowed from her eyes like gushing rivers. After an agonizingly long time, Franley re opened his eyes. There used to be a good number of monsters in the room. Now, among them all, there are only a few amalgamates. His heart broke for them, and at the same time, he felt absolutely horrified at the scene. The amalgamates writhed, shook, and made heart breaking sounds. They all crept closer to Alphys. She thought they wanted revenge on her. But instead, they all tried to comfort her. They didn't want Alphys to cry over her honest mistake. She sniffed, and dried her tears.

"Oh no. W-what am I going to say to your families? I told them all I would send everybody back! T-t-they can't see you all l-like this. Guys, s-s-sorry but, y-you'll all have to stay d-down here until I c-can think of s-s-something," said Alphys.

The amalgamates just shook in response. Franley could tell they weren't happy with it, but agreed to staying in the true lab until Alphys could think of something. He woke up. Sliding out of the bed, he stretched and yawned.

"Well, that was interesting. I didn't see my mom in my dream this time. Does this mean that I'm the first to ever see this lab? If that's the case, then, that's awesome! I finally did something that my mom and dad have never done! But, that dream was creepy. I want to try and free all these amalgamates," Franley said to himself.

His voice echoed in the room, and it made him shiver.

"Man, it sure is creepy here though. Especially now since I know what all went down down here."

He slapped himself to get himself pumped.

"What would mother do? Well, she would definitely stay determined no matter what. What would father do? Dad isn't the determined type. He's more of a studious, analyzing type unlike mother used to be. Since I have her power, she can't afford to just go into things without a plan firsthand. So, mother would stay determined, and dad would plan things ahead of time. Knowing what I know now of this place, I need to definitely stay determined no matter what I face down here, and I should carefully plan how I handle each amalgamate," Franley said to himself, his voice echoing off the walls again.

He decided to straighten the covers on the other bed. When he got closer to it, a small yellow light flashed from under the covers. He pulled back the covers and saw the yellow key. Smiling, he grabbed the yellow key. He went north this time, and made a left.

"Huh? Someone's behind that shower curtain."

Franley drew in some air into his lungs to calm his nerves, and he cautiously approached the shower. With each step he took, the dancing spoon figure waved faster and made its sounds faster as well, which unnerved Franley a great deal. He finally made it to the shower curtain, the figure moving so fast that it would give him a headache if he tried to follow the movement with his eyes. Shutting his eyes closed, he swung the curtain open. The sound had stopped.

"What?" he thought.

Opening his eyes, the only thing that was in the bathtub was a green key. Swiping the sweat off his forehead, he picked it up and put it on his keychain.

"Okay. Well, I found another key. But...where did that monster go? Wait. Can these monsters down here die and become ghosts?" he wondered.

Not wanting to stay there much longer, he practically ran out the bathroom and continued left. Franley scratched his head in confusion.

"How is there a save point there when no one else can create one? Weird. I'll check it out later."

Franley walked into the room north from where he was standing. There was a TV and some tapes, and a yellow key insertion station. He walked over and put the yellow key into the slot and turned it until it glowed yellow.

"There. The yellow is on now. Just gotta find where to put the green one, find the blue key, and find where to put it, go back to the power room, and turn on the power so I can leave with the amalgamates," he said to himself.

He checked out the entry and watched the tapes.

"Oh yeah, I dreamt of all these events in the Ruins."

He turned around and walked out to check out the save point.

"Hmmm. It definitely looks like a save point. But, who could have made one? Does this mean that the amalgamates can summon save points?"

Franley reached out to touch the save point to make it disappear, but then it stopped twinkling, a face grew on it which shocked Franley, and it transformed into its amorphous dripping body.

"Uhhh. Lemon bread, huh? Hmmm. Oh wait! You're an amalgamation of Shyren, Moldbygg, and Aaron! I know what to do now. Unhug."

Lemon bread remembered this, and its teeth shake. He expertly dodged the teeth attacks.

"Flex."

Franley rolled up his sleeves and began flexing. Lemon Bread's teeth shook some more as it remembered. Again, he dodged teeth attacks.

"Last but not least, hum."

Franley hummed the tune of His Theme. Lemon Bread liquefied into the air. He looked at the machine that he saw in his dream, and walked over to read the sign next to it.

"DT Extraction Machine. Inactive. Man that thing's creepy!" Franley shuddered at the thought of his soul going in there. He walked further to the left, but couldn't see anything. Turning back, he walked all the way to the right and into a room with turned off fans and white debris everywhere.

"The switch over there must turn these fans on. That way, I can see over there. It's really dusty in here too," he pondered.

He walked over and flipped the switch, turning the fans on. Franley was pleased with himself. His happy attitude was replaced with horror when the debris formed together to make an amorphous, dripping dog like creature. It slowly approached him, and Franley backed up to the wall.

"M-m-must stay...determined," he gulped and sweated.

Balling his hands into fists, he got up from the wall and approached the dog, and was taken into battle.

"Ugh. Super creepy. Well, let's see here. Hey, these are the same options for Greater Dog. It all makes sense now. Beckon."

Franley beckoned the amalgamate. It bounded towards him, flecking white goop from its orifice. Franley dodged the white arrows that shot from its orifice, getting hit by at least 2.

"Yikes. My health isn't doing too good. At this rate, I'll have to regenerate. I hate the feeling of dying!"

He looked in his pocket, and broke a small piece off what was left of the pie and ate it. His HP was maxed out.

"Petting time."

He pet the dripping amalgamate, holding back the bile in his mouth as the dog shook even more, its breathing becoming rapid, and the way it feels is just all wrong to him. The amalgamate shot onto the walls and clawed around wildly, catching Franley off guard.

"Oh. It wants to play. I'll throw my glove."

Franley threw his glove. The amalgamate picked it up and brought it back to him...proudly? Now amalgamate is very tired. It rests its large, amorphous body onto Franley, making Franley's breath catch in his throat and become sick to his stomach, but he stays determined. Amalgamate wakes up and is very excited. Franley pet decisively. The amalgamate grew smiling pet faces between its legs which startled Franley. With a shaking hand, he spared Endogeny.

"Good thing that's over with. Stay determined. Stay determined," he calmly told himself as he breathed in and out.

Walking back to the left room that was once shrouded in mist, he didn't feel any better being able to see the room since one of the refrigerators was shaking violently. He ran past all the refrigerators and went into the room connected to this one. There was a blue switch with a key hole.

"Darn. All I have is a green key. I don't have a blue one yet. Hmm. This note says...cold. That's it? Well, the only cold things down here I can think of are the refrigerators. Man, it's gonna be the one that shakes, isn't it? I am so not looking forward to this. Stay determined, Franley."

He walked back into the cold room, and approached the shaking refrigerator. Extending a hand out to grab the handle, he froze. He can't seem to make his arm do what it needs to do to get this whole ordeal over with. Gritting his teeth, he made his own determination skyrocket, which, in turn, gave him enough strength to open the door. He just gawked. There was absolutely nothing in this one. He closed it and stepped back. He half expected the whole thing to turn into an amalgamate, but it never did.

"It wasn't this one? That's really weird. Then why does it shake so much?"

Deciding not to stay near it, he quickly and efficiently checked all of the fridges. Every single one of them was empty.

"Is there another cold area down here that I'm not thinking of? Is it somewhere back in the fan room? Maybe."

He turned to start walking back, but then he heard a laugh. When he slowly turned around, what he saw only made him want to cry for her.

"You're related to Snowdrake. Aren't you?" he softly asked her.

She slowly nodded and it looked like she was in pain, as well as the other monsters who were merged with her.

"D-don't look so sad. Your son is doing great. I know what will cheer you up."

Franley told her a terrible pun.

"Ha...ha...I...remem...ber."

He wiped at his eyes to try and lessen the amount of tears flowing, but got his sleeve wet for no reason since the tears didn't stop. They couldn't stop. He told her another ice pun.

"Ha...ha...sno...wy."

More tears came to the point where he can barely see anything anymore. But he knew the puns were helping her somewhat. He told her another pun. This time, she disappeared while painfully laughing in a slow manner. He fell to his knees and cried out the rest of his tears. He even yelled out in pain for her. Eventually, he stopped crying and wiped his nose with his sleeve and mumbled. He lost a lot of moisture. He picked himself back up after grabbing the blue key. He dragged himself back to the blue slot, clumsily put the blue key in and turned it, making the blue light turn on. He rubbed at his eyes, he was very exhausted. Franley dragged himself back to the bed room, and slept on the bed. He didn't dream of anything this time. It was nothing but a black void. Until...he saw his father.

"Dad? Am I having a vision of you now? Wait, does that mean you've seen the True Lab before?" Franley asked.

Sans shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid. I don't know who you are. Anyway, who are you and what is this true lab you speak of?" asked Sans.

Franley was confused. Not only was his dream actually able to hear him, his dream spoke to him. The other thing he was confused about was the fact his dream dad looked much older than his dad had looked when killed by Flowey, but doesn't know who he is.

"I-I'm your son, Franley. The True Lab is the lab underneath Alphys' regular lab," said Franley.

"I don't have a son. I'm not even with anyone. I'm a single 36 year old skeleton with three jobs. That lab thing sounds legit though," replied Sans.

"What universe are you from?" asked Franley, narrowing his eyes.

Since he is aware of there being different universes, it wouldn't be a stretch if he could somehow communicate with other versions of monsters and humans through dreams.

"The Undertale universe of course," said Sans.

"Have you seen a human before? If so, who was the most recent human?" asked Franley.

"Human? Yeah I met a human the other day. Some ten year old kid," said Sans.

"Was her name Frisk?" asked Franley.

Sans narrowed his eyes this time.

"Yeah. Frisk is her name alright. I would have killed her by now to take her soul, but I promised the nice lady behind the door that I would protect the kid," said Sans.

Franley nodded.

"Frisk is my mom, and you're my dad. You two grow to love each other, and after Frisk finds a way to get everyone to the surface, you two have me," said Franley.

"Say what now? I think I might have had too many ketchup bottles this time. Look, you can't be my son. I can see you being her son definitely. You look a lot like her. But, I'm an old skeleton and she's a kid. By the time she's an adult, I'll be old enough to be someone's grandpa," retorted Sans.

Franley fumbled for his wallet. He found it and took it out.

"In my wallet, I have a family picture of the three of us. I forgot to tell you, but, Alphys finds a way to make you younger in your future. Here. This is our family."

Franley took the picture out of his wallet and showed Sans. Sans grabbed it and looked at it, and his eye sockets widened.

"Me and Frisk get together for real? Y-you're really...my son?" softly asked Sans.

Franley smiled and nodded. Then he frowned and was about to cry.

"Whoa, kid. What's wrong?" asked Sans.

Franley began sniffling and rubbing at his eyes.

"Since I was born on the surface, I never got to see where you and mom grew up at. So, one day, you asked me if I wanted to see the underground with you. Me wanting to know more about you and mom, I jumped at the chance. But," he stopped to try and catch his breath.

Sans was genuinely concerned. He no longer felt like the human kid could turn on them and that he would have to kill her. Seeing this young boy who proved to be his and Frisk's son, he was speechless and wanted to listen to everything he had to say.

"But?" croaked Sans.

Franley inhaled and exhaled.

"But, when you short cut us to the room where mom had fallen down into the underground, Flowey surprise attacked you and killed you right in front of me. I would have killed myself sooner just to revive you and have you take us back home, but I wanted to see the underground. Once I finish learning all that I can, I will die and load to my last save, which was before Flowey had killed you. He thinks I'm my uncle Chara. At first, I killed Flowey. I didn't know I had ruined my chance at a good ending until Core Frisk talked to me. Core Frisk is an eternally young version of mom who sees and knows all. She rewinded time to just before I had killed him," said Franley.

Sans couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"That little flower dude killed me? I've beaten him so many times before," said Sans.

"Neither of us saw or heard him coming. He attacked you from underneath you," said Franley.

Sans reeled backwards, all the information hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"What do I do now?" asked Sans.

"According to mom's diary, after she keeps getting beaten by Omega Flowey, she will come to live with you and uncle Papyrus. Grandmother Toriel will come out from the Ruins. You have to date grandma Toriel, because that's the only reason why she approved of you and mom going out. Well, she doesn't approve at first, but she doesn't disapprove either. It's all because you and her went out. After you and mom fall for each other and confess, you have to keep it a secret until the time comes when Grandma Toriel reveals your relationship. You don't know it yet, but Grandma Toriel is the Queen of the underground. Yes, that means Frisk is the Princess, and that currently, you're the King. Don't try and force the relationship. Just let it run its own course. Go with the flow," said Franley.

Sans nodded in understanding.

"I see. You're so smart. Hearing how smart my future son is makes me want to get smarter so I can teach kids. Thank you, son," smiled Sans.

"Can I hug you? It's been so long," croaked Franley.

Sans awkwardly opened his arms and Franley came running into his dad's arms, and cried and cried while Sans awkwardly pat his back until he stopped crying. Without warning, Sans disappeared and Franley went to wrapping his arms around himself while he floated aimlessly throughout the abyss of his mind.


	15. Turn On The Lights

AMS

TURN ON THE LIGHTS

Franley slowly opened his weak, dry eyes. He blinked a few times to try and get moisture to them, but it was no good. Groaning, he sat up and tried rubbing his eyes. Rubbing just made them more irritated.

"Oh come on. That's some bullcrap," he hissed.

Still unsteady, he stood up and hobbled over to the first room where the sinks were. Before he turned the sink on, he held his breath, praying the amalgamate from earlier wouldn't come down the faucet. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and quickly turned the faucet on and backed away out of pure reflex. It was just regular water coming out of it. Sighing, he walked back up to the sink, cupped his hands together and splashed his face, and drank the water. It was nice and cold and tasted faintly like magic. He could feel his strength building up, better than before.

"Ah! I feel great! Alright. Time to find out where to put this green key in. Hmmm. The only area I can think of is the hallway with all the plants. I sure hope that one flower wasn't Flowey. Actually, I hope it was. Maybe then I taught him a lesson," Franley smirked.

Holding tight onto the key, he jogged all the way back to the bed room and stopped when he got to the flower and mirror hallway.

"At the very end I can see a door. It's gotta be in there where I put this key. There's no white debris anywhere and it seems no amalgamate can possibly show up in here. Hopefully that's true..." he muttered to himself.

By now he was gripping the key so hard his knuckles turned white and his palm started dripping a little red, making him hiss in pain. He tore off a piece of his pants from its bottom and wrapped it around his cut up hand. He checked his HP. He was at 24 out of 25 now. Breathing in relief he didn't lose more than that, he put the key in his pocket, and started making his way down the hall. He looked in the mirrors as he walked, slightly chuckling at how each mirror changed the way he looked. A white bubble suddenly appeared in front of him with an exclamation point.

"Huh? What is OH MY GOSH!" he screamed as the bubble formed into an amalgamate.

He was once again summoned into a battle box, and once again, his options appeared along with his stats and name. He looked closely.

"Some type of Froggit is in there...some type of Whimsun...and a type of Loox? They look similar but are still different somehow. Hmm...let me see what you are," he mumbled.

Franley pressed ACT and saw the amalgamate's name is not written out yet.

"I guess like with Memoryhead, I have to do different things in order to find out what you are called. Okay then... uhhh...let's try clean," he decided.

A sink appeared before him. He was confused as he mechanically washed his hands for no reason, though the magical healing water would have healed his wound, if the cloth wasn't covering it. The sink disappeared.

"Well that was something," he said confused.

In the battle box, an entity appeared at the right side of it. Unsure of what it was going to do, he moved his soul to the far left of the box, only to see a bunch of butterflies fly down to the entity and eat at its head and watched it writhe in agony and pain.

"That thing...I feel like its name is Everyman or something. Poor guy," winced Franley.

This time he chose mystify. ' remembered its conscience. The butterflies that are still on Everyman's head shot out in all directions at his soul. Slightly panicking, he moved his soul to dodge the butterflies, but was hit by a few of them. His HP is at 20 now.

"Damn butterflies," he hissed.

He was so angry with this amalgamate that he chose pick on. He finally saw its name. Reaper Bird remembered something.

"Your name is Reaper Bird huh? What a name. But it's not as awesome as mine!" smirked Franley.

Reaper Bird shrunk back in fear and awe. Franley was filled with so much determination that it was blinding. Franley smiled brightly at Reaper Bird as he selected spare, causing the amalgamate to liquefy in the air. He knew he was so close to getting out of there that he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Franley tossed the green key in the air and caught it triumphantly, then went and put it in its slot. Turning the key, he smiled even more as the green light turned on.

"That should have done it. Time to turn on the power and get everyone out of here!"

Franley ran all the way to the power room, his adrenaline so strong that he didn't feel the pain in his palm from earlier. The door slid open, and revealed an elevator with a hallway connected to it. He walked in and went down the hallway. Seeing two screens, he half expected them to light up, but they didn't.

"Probably out of power. Wait...then how was I able to read those other entries? Damn logic," Franley said shaking his head.

He came to the door that lead to the power source of the true lab.

"Welp, there it is," smiled Franley.

He practically skipped up to it, and turned on the switch. As soon as he did, he heard familiar, eerie laughing.

Back on the surface...

Alphys looks up from his list of things to make as he is hit with a certain feeling. He meditates on this feeling for a minute. He soon found his worry to be ridiculous and shook his head.

"Nah, that's impossible. The door's locked, and the kid doesn't know how to short cut anywhere," Alphys told himself.

"Huh? Did you say something?" asked Frisk.

"Just an irrational thought I had. Don't worry," said Alphys.

Frisk nodded and continued to look through the cookbook to decide what to make for dinner.

"It's been five months already. Which is weird. I know that once Franley is done down there, time will just be brought back no matter how much it progresses. Perhaps this was why Sans used to be so lazy. I don't blame him now," said Frisk thoughtfully.

Papyrus turned off the TV in deep thought.

"Huh. Does that mean that, no matter what anyone does, it doesn't matter?" asked Papyrus.

Frisk eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes, basically," she said while still eyeing him.

"I'm gonna go bathe in hot sauce then. You all told me it would be a bad idea, but who cares!" laughed Papyrus.

Frisk snorted as she laughed. She closed the cookbook.

"I'm just gonna go to a human town other than Gravity Falls and steal dinner from a store," said Frisk.

"You might want to take this with you, Frisk," said Alphys.

He handed her a stun gun.

"What's this do?" asked Frisk as she looked at it from different angles.

"It just stuns people. Heck, you could even kill people if you wanted to, knowing it doesn't matter," said Alphys.

Chara appeared in worry.

"Hey guys, I don't think it's a good idea to do bad things just because you can," said Chara.

"Oh come on. You only live once. Might as well make the most of it if you know everything will be brought back at one point," said Frisk.

Chara pondered the idea.

"I'll get you a lot of chocolate and you can possess my body and eat most of it," said Frisk.

Chara smirked.

"You're bad," said Chara.

Frisk winked, went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and put it in her pocket.

"I'll be back with dinner! I may or may not be covered in blood when I come back," laughed Frisk.

Back underground...

Franley was frozen in fear. But then, he had an overwhelming desire to save them from this place.

"These amalgamates were once individual monsters with their own families. There must be a reason why they are acting this way. It must be because they've been down here for so long," he thought.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and took a step forward, causing the amalgamates to stop coming any further.

"Listen! I know the truth about you all. I am your Prince! The son of Queen Frisk and King Sans, though, unfortunately, you all have never met them before. Frisk Dreemurr, my mom and your Queen, is a human who, when she was ten, fell down here and was adopted by the former Queen Toriel. Sans, my dad and your King, used to be a regular monster among the rest of you. The barrier has been broken for over a decade. If you all leave with me, I can lead you all to the surface where your families are. What do you say? Do you want to be free?" asked Franley.

His voice throughout the whole speech was steady and filled with emotion. He wants to be the Prince they all need and desire to have. He wants to be someone everyone can depend on with their life. The amalgamates bounced together in harmony as a way of showing gratitude. Franley sighed in relief and showed them all his biggest smile.

"Then come on! Let's all go home. After I come back that is. You see, if we leave right now, I'm going to have to load my save file anyway so, meeting you all technically won't have happened when I load. I will be the only one who remembered all of this. I promise I will come back for you all though. Believe in me," said Franley.

Though it was clear the amalgamates were sad by this fact, they understood and bounced together again.

"I would give you all hugs, but you know...dripping bodies and all. Well, I'm gonna go now, but I'll be back!" said Franley as he left the power room.

He went down through the hall and jumped when the screens lit up to show red smiley faces. He tapped it.

"I've chosen a candidate. The first golden flower that grew in the King's garden before the rest of them," he read out loud.

He remembered her determination experiment and how in an entry she had mentioned injecting something that was neither human nor monster. He quickly read the next one.

"The flower is gone. Wait...Alphys created Flowey?!" he shrieked.

He immediately covered his mouth, not wanting to startle the amalgamates. Regaining his composure, he kept walking back. He made it all the way to the fallen elevator.

"Well, it should be working now," he muttered.

He pressed the button to lead him back to the above lab. The elevator door closed and took him back up. When it opened, he stepped out. But not before locking the elevator door for Alphys. He didn't want to risk any other monster mistaking that for a bathroom and seeing everything. He now knows that there was a reason for it being locked up.

"Don't worry. I promise I'll come back someday. When I'm stronger," promised Franley.

Suddenly, the left side of his face didn't feel quite right. It felt...colder somehow. He touched it, and was surprised that it felt cool and smooth...almost...bone like?

"What the?" he wondered.

He grabbed his cell phone and looked at his reflection through it and fell over in shocked surprise. The left side of his face was just his skeleton!

"What in the heck happened to my skin?! Why is this happening?!" he shrieked.

He then noticed that his left hand was also bony.

"What? Wait... is my whole left side just a skeleton? Is this supposed to happen?" he wondered out loud, focusing on trying to catch his breath. He wasn't missing any hair on his left side, he was thankful for that much. He took off his left shoe and basically confirmed his suspicion of his whole left side being just a skeleton.

"If this was going to happen no matter what, how am I going to be able to show my face around the humans?" he wondered, rocking himself to try and calm down.

It was then he had an idea. He went upstairs to Alphys' room, and opened up Alphys' old wardrobe that has several lab coats and a single dress.

"Alphys no longer needs this dress, nor does he need these lab coats since he has so many on the surface. My glove can easily cover my bony hand," said Franley.

He took out the dress and a lab coat. There was a sewing machine nearby thankfully. He ripped the dress, making it into a headband, and tore a good chunk of the lab coat. He was thankful that half his nose still had skin covering it, so he would only have to cover up half his nose. Using the sewing machine, he connected the now black headband to the lab coat piece, and successfully covered his left side. He pulled out his phone to look at himself.

"This is a good idea. I don't have to do this yet since the monsters down here will just look at me and know right away I'm half human half monster. But this was good practice for when the time comes again to do this," said Franley as he admired his work. He liked how his bangs hung over the headband part.

"Heh, I look like some kind of anime character," chuckled Franley.

Since his left side felt colder without the cloth over it, he decided to keep it on until he remembered how hot it is in Hotland.

"Right. It's actually a blessing that half of me is exposed now. It means I can get through Hotland only being somewhat hot instead of stifling hot," said Franley.

He took off the covering, and walked out the other side of the lab after grabbing some yogurt and eating it.

"I sure feel a lot better now. Well, at least now when I tell my story, people won't ask too many questions anymore," he shrugged.

His phone vibrated, indicating he had received a message. He checked it and was confused about who could have sent him a text. Then he noticed he had four bars. He opened the text and read it.

"Howdy! I tried to call you earlier, but because you weren't near the Core yet, it wouldn't go through. Gee, I bet you're wondering how I got this number, arentcha? Hee hee hee! Don't worry about the minor details. Minor details tend to get in the way of the story anyway, and it ruins the suspense! I'm waiting for you in front of the King's castle, buddy. See ya!"

Franley furrowed his brow, and deleted the message.

"I gotta change my number when I load. I don't know why, but I have a feeling this flower will remember even if I load to before he kills my dad," muttered Franley under his breath.

Walking felt weird to him now, since his left foot is bony and no cushion at all.

"How in the heck does dad walk? I forgot. He wears comfortable slippers to cushion his steps. I gotta get me a pair. Tennis shoes ain't gonna cut it when...this happens again," said Franley.

He got to a conveyor belt that looked like it was going too fast for his comfort.

"I'm just gonna hover over this thing. Ain't no way in Hell I'm gonna put myself in danger just cuz I can," said Franley.

Surprisingly, when he used his magic, he could breathe just fine. He didn't feel like anything was draining him.

"H-have I controlled my magic? Is this why half of me looks like my dad? Because when I master my magic abilities it shows on the outside? Wow. I bet dad will be surprised when this happens! I can only imagine how mom and everyone else will react! My peers might still pick on me...or maybe not. My left side seems to cool down my right side to an extent. I haven't broken out in one sweat since I stepped out into the heat," he thought.

Feeling confident in his newfound control over his magic, he flipped in the air and did other air tricks and laughed like he was a champion. He landed on the other side of the conveyor belt and beamed like a kid on his birthday.

"Oh my gosh that was so much fun! I wonder... can I create shortcuts to visit my mom? I'm gonna do it!" squealed Franley.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. He heard it being summoned. He bled from his nose a little bit and felt slightly lightheaded. Nothing compared to how it made him feel the first time he used it.

"I guess it would make sense that using this power for long distance still affects me somehow, but still not as bad as before," he said to himself.

He walked through the shortcut and came out in the living room, startling Alphys and Papyrus.

"F-Franley? You're back...wait...WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" asked Papyrus.

Papyrus ran a gloved hand over Franley's left side, clearly looking worried for his nephew.

"Don't worry, uncle Paps. This was supposed to happen. It just means I have a better control over my powers now," said Franley.

Papyrus breathed in relief and hugged Franley.

"I'm so glad you're okay," said Papyrus.

While being hugged by Papyrus, Franley saw his mother. Her eyes were red and she was covered in blood. Franley squirmed to get out of Papyrus' arms and approached his mom.

"Mom? What are you doing? Please tell me that's animal blood and that you're preparing something for the family," asked Franley.

Chara left Frisk, and they both got closer to Franley, tears in both their eyes as they were worried for Franley. Franley explained to them what the left side was all about.

"This...isn't animal blood. Knowing that no matter what we do since it will all be set back, we decided to be naughty and sin a little...a lot. I understand if you think less of me...it's just...I needed an outlet for all these meddlesome thoughts I've been having. Wondering about you and Sans...it doesn't mean I'm evil. It just means...I'm a dirty sinner," said Frisk, clearly looking worried.

She was sweating pretty heavily under the pressure of being judged by her own son. She hadn't expected him to show up like this. She thought she wouldn't see him until he loads.

"Uhm...that's right. Candy said that Sans is dead...for now," said Frisk, suddenly looking like she was going to fall apart.

Franley put his hands on her shoulders.

"Mom, look at me. I don't think any less of you. I understand that you've been put under a lot of pressure lately. This was bound to happen since...what all you went through as a teenager in the underground. I know what happened to you. It happened to me too. Grillby's was turned into a club, and I walked in, being curious, and was taken advantage of. But mom, I promise I will stay determined for you, for dad, for monsters, and for humans. When I load, promise me you'll try to stay determined to not fall for temptation like this again. Once is okay since I can undo it all. But I don't want to have to keep undoing the same things. You're still my mother and I love you very much," said Franley, on the verge of tears.

Frisk looked at her son, shocked that he found it all out. Franley hugged her, and everything that she had bottled up inside let loose like a volcano erupting. She held onto her son and sobbed the fear, pain, worry, and depression out.

"Wait, if you can shortcut, does that mean you've seen...my bathroom?" asked Alphys.

When Franley pulled away from his mom, he stood and faced Alphys.

"I have seen it. I don't judge you for it though. You were just doing what you thought would save everyone," said Franley.

Alphys breathed out a shuddered breath.

"I didn't mean to...it was an accident...no one should have seen it," said Alphys.

"Hey. I know. But cheer up, Alphys. You're the Royal Scientist. Show some inner strength," said Franley.

Alphys looked at Franley for a minute, his eyes glossy. Alphys sniffed back his tears, smiled and nodded at Franley.

"Well, I only came to visit a little bit. I'm almost done underground, so it won't be long now until I'm back with my dad. You all will forget this encounter, but...maybe that's for the best," said Franley.

He concentrated again on making a short cut back to Hotland where he left off, and a portal showed up. Franley was bleeding through his nose again. Wiping away the blood like it was nothing, he staggered into the portal and found himself to be in Hotland again.

"Don't worry guys. I'll save you all," whispered Franley.


	16. Moving Forward

AMS

MOVING FORWARD

The lava below made it really humid, but thanks to Franley's skeletal side, breathing was only slightly difficult as he slowly but surely made his way through Hotland.

"I would have gone to that elevator I saw ahead of me, but wanting to learn everything I can, I can't afford to not take the long way," he thought to himself as he neared some steaming vents.

He looked at all the vents in the area, and noticed that every single one of them was near an edge just before the lava before all of them.

"It looks like the vents are there to propel someone to each platform. I would use my magic to just fly myself around, but...I kinda want to use the steam vents. It looks like it could be fun."

Taking some steady, deep breaths, he ran up to the first vent and shot up into the air, and landed just a bit forward from the other steam vent. He wobbled a little bit upon landing, heart beating against his ribcage, as he chuckled nervously while trying to draw in deep ragged breaths while looking down at the lava. Standing straight up, Franley clenched his hand into a fist while smirking at the danger around him. He undid his fist and moved on to the next set of vents, each one filling him with a thrill. Leaving the room he came across a narrow passage with blue and orange lasers.

"Uh...what? How do I even get past this?" he wondered.

He remembered how for blue attacks you stay still, and for orange attacks you keep moving.

"But do those rules apply to these lasers? Or are the rules opposite here just to trick someone? It would make more sense for the rules to be opposite. Alright. I'm gonna keep moving through the blue and stay still in the orange. Hopefully I'm not wrong," he decided determinedly.

He walked up to the first blue laser and tried to walk right through it, but got hurt in the process. Staggering backwards, he clenched his abdomen in shock.

"Okay! Guess I was wrong!" exclaimed Franley exasperatedly.

Letting go of his abdomen, he inched his way close to the moving blue laser, and this time, when it moved towards him, he stayed perfectly still as the laser moved past him. He did this for the other moving blue lasers until he came to a series of moving orange lasers. No longer feeling anticipation, he ran right through them all and skidded to a stop since there was one moving blue laser at the end. Once it passed him, he breathed in relief. He came to a switch with a sign above it.

"Want to turn off the lasers?" read Franley.

Nodding furiously, he flipped the switch. He thought the switch would turn off future lasers, but was disappointed it meant turning off the ones he had already made his way through. He brightened up with hope.

"Maybe it turns off all the lasers in Hotland. I can only hope."

Pretty soon he came to a vent with a light up arrow that changed in different directions, and a big door ahead of him. The door was already green and open though, so he waited until the arrow pointed in the direction of the open door and jumped over there.

"Haha man! That never gets old," laughed Franley with glee.

Or so he thought until he saw small platforms with one vent on each. Each pillar was spaced apart a lot further than the other platforms. He would use his magic to get across this time, but he can't see anything beyond the pillars.

"Why does this have to happen to me?" he squeaked nervously.

His vision got blurry, and he saw a short snippet of his mother drawing courage from her determination and used the vents to get across the pillars effortlessly. His vision came back to him and clenched his fists.

"If a ten year old girl can do it, I can definitely do it too. Okay. Here I go!" jumped Franley.

He couldn't choose between whether to close his eyes or not and when he finally decided he had already landed on a floor he could not see. Drawing from the conclusion that if there was lava he would be able to see it, he allowed himself to move around. But pretty soon he felt very sleepy, and the ground wasn't too hard nor was it cold. Finding a comfortable way to lay down, his tired eye and eyesocket slowly closed. He had a dream again. Looking around, it was extremely dark. But, for some reason, he could clearly see his mom wandering around in the dark. Frisk's cell rang, breaking her out of her trance. She fumbled with her phone a little bit until she found the answer button.

"It's kinda dark in there huh? D-don't worry! I'll brighten it up by hacking into the light system," said Alphys.

Then, the whole room was lit up and a kitchen was exposed. Franley was wondering why the heck Hotland had a random kitchen.

"Uh...what? Well, since I don't have anyone to hack into light systems for me, I'm gonna have to memorize the layout of this kitchen to get through," he thought to himself, putting his hand on his chin as he took in every detail.

A rectangular robot wearing a chef's hat suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh no..." said Alphys.

"OH YES! WELCOME BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES TO COOKING WITH A KILLER ROBOT! WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL GUEST TODAY! PLEASE GIVE THEM A WARM WELCOME!"

A clap track played while colorful confetti fell over Frisk. Frisk seemed she couldn't decide how to feel. On the one hand, it looked like she wanted to smile and wave, but the other part of her looked like she wanted to make a run for it while she had the chance. She figured he wouldn't try to kill her on TV since monster children were possibly watching. What kid would want to see such gore?

"TODAY WE WILL BE BAKING A CAKE. DARLING, IF YOU COULD GRAB THE EGGS, SUGAR, AND MILK, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL," said Mettaton in his deep, robotic voice.

Frisk was sure that if he wasn't dangerous, or a robot, that she would have been flirting with him. But those were not the circumstances. Franley could see that was exactly what his mom was thinking and he smacked his forehead.

"Seriously mom? Just because of how he sounds? Well, it makes sense. That could be the reason why so many monsters seem to think he's sexy even though back then he was just a rectangle," said Franley.

Frisk grabbed the ingredients Mettaton asked for and sat them down on the counter. Breathing heavily with her hands on her knees, she flashed a smile and gave a thumbs up. Mettaton nodded and turned back to the crowd.

"IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS! EGGS, SUGAR, MILK...WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT!" exclaimed Mettaton, causing a confused look from Frisk.

"OH ME OH MY! HOW COULD I FORGET? WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!"

Frisk noticed a can on a counter behind him and thought he might be talking about that until Mettaton pulled a chainsaw out of nowhere, making Frisk cower and shake in fear.

"Apparently monsters eat humans?!" screamed Franley in disgust.

"A HUMAN SOUL! DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME, KIDDOS!"

Not only was Frisk afraid for her life and felt sick at the thought of a flamboyant robot cutting her open, she was also sick from the fact that he would even do this in front of children since he directly called out to them to tell them not to try this at home. She could feel her stomach twist and turn in agony all the while while Franley had his arms crossed while his eyesocket had a blue flame burning around his white pupil. He wishes he could do something about the scene before him, but is too angry to realize that this has already happened, that he is somehow able to see these past events. Just when Mettaton got really close, his phone rang.

"HELLO? I'M KINDA IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING. ALPHYS! HUH? SUBSTITUTE? WHY?...VEGAN...THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA ALPHYS! ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE A SUBSTITUTE RIGHT OVER THERE ON THE COUNTER! WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT, DARLING?"

Frisk and Franley sighed in relief at the same time, his blue flame dying out out of pure relief for his mother being protected. They just couldn't see what was really going on. The rest of the dream played out with Franley being impressed with how his mom dodged the falling food items Mettaton threw at her. The dream ended with Franley hearing words of encouragement from Alphys and Frisk. He opened his eyes. It took him a bit for his eyes to slightly adjust in the darkness since in his dream he had plenty of light. When he could barely see shapes in the dark, he got up and made his way around the shapes he saw while remembering from the dream what the layout was supposed to look like. When he finally made it to the other side, he quickly shielded his eyes since the light was too much at first and had actually hurt his eyes.

"Ugh. Well, at least I can see...once my eyes adjust," grunted Franley.

He suddenly thought about all the monsters that refuse to leave the underground because of their fear of the humans.

"Tch, not all humans are the same, obviously. Their Queen is a human! They're just being idiots," Franley declared, furrowing his brow. He looked down at his hands. One half human, one half monster. He clenched his hands into fists, feeling a deep desire to get all the monsters on the surface so everyone can live in peace.

"The two need to learn to coexist together, like me. I don't know why my mom wasn't able to do it, but I know I can. If not me, then my future sons or daughters will. Eventually, both sides will stop fearing each other for no reason," said Franley.

Nearly knocking him over, his phone rang.

"Huh? I swear if it's that flower- what?"

He immediately answered, trying to hold back tears.

"Candy?" he croaked.

"Franley? Hey! Are you gonna be back before your birthday? Your family and I have everything planned out," asked Candy.

"My birthday?" he asked.

"Crap! If my birthday is close, then that means I can't afford to take any more naps!" Franley frantically thought as he began chewing on his nails.

"Uh, how many days until my birthday?" asked Franley.

"Thirty seven. Today's the second, so you got thirty seven days until your birthday. And then after your birthday, it's a couple months until mine," answered Candy.

"Well, either way I'm gonna have to finish this before my birthday," sighed Franley.

"What do you mean?" asked Candy.

"Because, my determination power leaves random side effects once I become a teenager. It's something that happened to my mother when she was a teenager. An example would be with Alphys. He used to be a girl until my mom was a teen and began loading. So, that's why I have to finish this journey before then so no side effects will ensue," explained Franley.

"Well, let me hang up so you can finish! Go!" encouraged Candy.

Next thing he heard was the click of the line ending. Sighing, he turned the screen off and put his phone back in his pocket. Smirking, he clenched his fists tighter until he was sure the skin on his one hand would rip and that the bone on the other hand would tear.

"Only thirty seven days. I can't afford to sleep anymore," he said.

He came to an elevator that said R1. Entering it, he noticed only one other button was lit up.

"Left floor 2. Hmm, okay. I guess I have no other choice it seems," shrugged Franley.

He pressed the button, and suddenly, random elevator music played much to his annoyance.

"Ugh, this is terrible for wanting to stay determined and go fast. Plus, this elevator is slow as balls!" huffed Franley, crossing his arms over his chest. Just before Franley was tempted to pull his hair out of his head, the elevator stopped and the door opened. Humphing, Franley stepped out of the elevator and began walking.

"Is that another sentry station?" Franley asked himself while squinting his eyes.

There were two monsters near it, each with a hotdog.

"Or maybe it was a hotdog stand," Franley mumbled.

Vision going blurry, he saw his dad stack hotdogs on top of his mom's head. Frisk was giggling and Sans was smiling warmly.

"I'll be _frank_ with you. Thirty hotdogs just seems excessive. Twenty nine, now that's fine. But, does it look like my arm can reach that high?" winked Sans.

Frisk giggled some more and tried walking around while balancing the hotdogs, but the hotdogs on her head fell down. She looked bummed out. Sans walked around from his sentry station to pat her on the back. Looking up at him, Frisk beamed once again and hugged him. Franley's vision cleared and he smiled, feeling the warmth from that memory. Tapping his chin in thought, he went behind the station and sure enough, there were hotdogs, hotdog buns, and condiments.

"Alright! I'm so hungry," Franley said, licking his lips.

It was then he noticed his tongue was not a normal pink anymore. Sticking his tongue back out, he reeled back in shock. His tongue was now purple. Thinking this was a sign of his hunger, he began stuffing hotdogs in his face until he felt full. Checking his tongue again, it was still purple. He scratched his head in wonderment before shrugging it off and kept moving. Groaning, he picked himself up with his magic and flew over the conveyor belts. There was a force field blocking his path, but he could see what was on the other side of it. Gathering all his strength and taking deep breaths, Franley created a shortcut to get to the other side. Wiping his nose, he pressed onwards while smirking.

"Okay...HOW MANY PUZZLES DOES THE UNDERGROUND HAVE?" yelled Franley in frustration.

His vision started to go blurry again but he shook his head violently.

"NO! NO MORE! I'M JUST GOING TO FLY OVER THIS THING!"

As if to spite him, his vision went blurry again and showed him how to solve the puzzle anyway. By the time his vision cleared, Franley glared all around him.

"I hate these visions sometimes," grumbled Franley before he flew over the puzzle.

Really not in the mood for anything that would keep him longer, he kept flying until he came to a rather large room. This time, his vision didn't get blurry, but he straight up passed out and saw a vision.

"Another dark room? Don't worry, I'll take care of that," said Alphys.

"You gotta be freaking kidding me," face palmed Franley, "I don't have time for this!"

The room lit up and Frisk found herself in a room with a lot of random things and cameras pointed at her.

"Oh no," said Alphys.

"OH YES! WELCOME, TO NEWS WITH A KILLER ROBOT! OUR CORRESPONDANT IS WEIRD CHILD! WEIRD CHILD, PLEASE FIND SOMETHING TO REPORT!" loudly ordered Mettaton.

Frisk looked around and decided to report the basketball.

"AH YES! THE BASKETBALL. ORBS OF FUN! TOO BAD YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH THESE BALLS! THESE ONES ARE FOR LOOKING FABULOUS! OH? WHAT'S THIS? IT SEEMS YOU HAVE ACTUALLY FOUND A BOMB!"

Gasping, Frisk took a step back as she just now noticed the lit up fuse.

"THAT'S NOT THE ONLY BOMB! EVERYTHING IN THIS ROOM IS A BOMB! OH NO! OUR LIVE REPORT!"

Suddenly the walls fell and everything in the room was revealed. Frisk was on her knees, pleading to Mettaton to spare her life, but he ignored her.

"THAT WATER'S A BOMB! THAT DOG'S A BOMB! EVEN MY WORDS ARE!"

Boom!

Mettaton turned towards Frisk who was shaking with tears streaming down her face.

"WEIRD CHILD, IF YOU DON'T DIFUSE ALL THE BOMBS IN HERE, THAT BIG BOMB UP THERE WILL EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES! GOOD LUCK!"

As soon as Mettaton flew out of view, Frisk's phone rang with Frisk picking up.

"Oh no, this seems bad. But don't worry! Your phone has a feature for diffusing bombs! Go get em!" said Alphys.

Once she hung up, Frisk looked around the whole room to find that everything was now in multiple different spots and moving around. Franley was barely paying attention. He's so impatient to want and just continue on his way.

"Grrrraaaaaah! I gotta keep going! I don't have time for this nonsense! I get it! My mom diffused bombs planted by Mettaton! Can I wake up now?!" yelled Franley.

Suddenly the vision started tilting side to side slowly and was flashing blood red, causing Franley to be confused.

"What the heck?"

He tried to take a deep breath and calm down. Once he did, the vision went back to normal.

"Huh. My emotions effect the visuals of my visions. What do ya know," chuckled Franley.

"OH NO! YOU DIFFUSED ALL THE BOMBS! NOW THE BIG BOMB WON'T BLOW UP IN TWO MINUTES!"

Frisk smiled happily at that news.

"IT'LL BLOW UP IN TWO SECONDS!" laughed Mettaton, causing Frisk to panic again.

She plugged her ears and shut her eyes. Nothing happened though, which made Frisk open an eye in question.

"THE BOMB...ISN'T GOING OFF..."

"That's right, Mettaton! When we work together, you can't defeat us!" laughed Alphys.

Frisk wiped the sweat off her forehead in relief and looked at Mettaton in a challenging way. Mettaton liked the way Frisk was looking at him. He likes a good challenge.

"Hmmm. When she's older," Mettaton thought to himself.

Franley picked up on the way Mettaton was staring at his mom.

"Okay I know as a robot, he doesn't have facial expressions, but I could feel the way he was looking at her. That was creepy," shuddered Franley.

Without warning, he woke up. Finally happy to be able to progress, he got up and kept moving until he saw the Core from a distance.

"Huh, I wonder if that's the Core I've heard Papyrus talk about," Franley wondered.

He stood there for a few seconds before scolding himself for stopping to look at a building from a distance.

"Oh, another elevator. Hopefully it takes me to another area," mumbled Franley.

His phone beeped and he looked at it. His eyes widened.

"35 days left."


	17. The Countdown Begins

AMS

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

Clutching onto his phone in an effort to suppress his eagerness to hurry, he waited in the elevator as it slowly approached left room 3. When it stopped, Franley loosened his grip on his phone and looked up in anticipation. The door opens, and Franley walks out, feeling determination course through his veins.

"I only have 35 days until my thirteenth birthday," Franley muttered, reminding himself of how his time is running out. Eventually, he came to a puzzle crossroads and he furrowed his brow in agitation.

"Hmmm.. The one time I actually need a vision, and I'm getting nothing. Well, it's not like I had a vision of where to find the keys in the True Lab. It's really inconsistent," muttered Franley, agitation evident in his voice.

He decided to try going straight ahead where he soon found a door that was closed and flashing red, indicating it was locked.

"Gosh darn it! Hmm. Maybe there are keys in those other directions? Like with the True Lab? Only one way to find out I guess."

With that in his mind he went back and flew over to the left. A tall building without a door greeted him. Inside he could see a large screen with four white squares in each corner, and two white outlined squares between them with a white line at the top of the whole box. On the very bottom was a triangle.

"Okay? What is this supposed to be?" he asked himself.

"It's a puzzle young man."

Startled, Franley jumped and turned to face the fox head on the ground in the corner.

"This is a puzzle? How do I beat it?" asked Franley.

"The triangle on the bottom is your gun. The white line on top is a ship. See those other two lines next to the gun? That's how much ammo you have. Your goal is to hit the ship with your ammo. You can move the boxes as how you see fit," explained the fox.

"Uuuuhhhh, okay then. Here goes nothing," shrugged Franley.

He pressed a button and the whole thing lit up.

"Hmm. I have two ammo, so I can only hit one box and then the ship," muttered Franley.

He moved a box out of the way, and shot twice until he hit the ship. The whole screen turned green.

"Good job! Now just go on the other side and do the same thing you did here to unlock that pesky door. I personally don't know why anyone would reset the puzzles. We have no use for them anymore since Queen Toriel said humans won't be treated as enemies, but as friends," said the fox.

Nodding, Franley went to the other side, beat the puzzle, and went back to the door that was now green. He stepped closer to it, and stopped once he heard a clicking sound. Immediately after the clicking sound, the heavy doors opened. Upon going through the door, he saw ahead a cave that was littered with cobwebs on the outside as well as the inside.

"Huh. I guess this is where Muffet used to live along with her sisters and brothers," shrugged Franley as he continued forward.

Some cobwebs would stick to him, but it didn't bother Franley. All he did was get through to the other side and brush off the cobwebs. He stopped when he saw a poster of Mettaton wearing a dress. He sputtered.

"I could see Mettaton EX wearing something like that, but not the male Mettaton from the memories," laughed Franley.

Then he remembered the lion monster who always wore dresses.

"Ah, he must have been inspired from Mettaton," chuckled Franley.

"Hey Candy. Have you spoken to Franley?" greeted Frisk.

"Yeah I have. He says he's in Hotland right now. Since you know the underground like the back of your hand, how much longer do you think it will take for him to reach the end and load?" asked Candy.

"Hotland is a big area. But, even if the puzzles have been reactivated, it still won't take too long since Mettaton isn't down there to stall him with cooking shows, News Reports, an opera, and a final fight. So if he hurries, he will have time to spare," explained Frisk as she smiled.

"I helped Frisk beat him," said Alphys.

Frisk turned and gave Alphys a "don't-lie-to-her" look, which caused Alphys to wink and keep moving along.

"Truth be told, I died a lot against Mettaton before I was able to memorize his attacks and what order they would go in," whispered Frisk.

"Oh yeah. You used to have determination powers. Do all humans have that power?" asked Candy.

"Only humans with a red soul. But it doesn't work when there are other red souls around or other beings who possess that power nearby. The only other thing I know that possesses that power is a soulless flower named Flowey. But he had told me that ever since I fell underground, he wasn't able to use his power because my determination was bigger than his," said Frisk.

"How do I find out what soul I have?" asked Candy.

"Well, if you ask a monster to engage in a battle, your soul will be pulled out of your chest so you can see it without dying," said Frisk.

"Can Papyrus show me?" asked Candy.

"Can Papyrus show you what?" asked Papyrus as he came into view.

"Engage in a battle with her just so she can see her soul color. She's curious," answered Frisk cheerfully.

Shrugging, Papyrus pulled her soul out to engage in a battle.

"Oh my. You have a pink soul," gasped Frisk.

A pink soul was much rarer than a red soul. It only occurred once every 500 years. People with a pink soul are destined to change the world either for the better or for the worse, depending on what they choose during a critical moment in their life. But, it's not just their life they affect when they make their decision. A pink soul unknowingly caused a drought in a faraway land long ago by a simple decision they made. That one decision made it to where a lot of people died of thirst. Candy has heard the legends and shuddered.

"H-how do I know when the critical point comes?" asked Candy.

"You won't know. Which is why you ought to think carefully before you make decisions from now on," answered Frisk as calmly as she could.

Red souls can change fate for oneself and a handful of people if they're not around other red souls. But pink souls change fate for a very large area, sometimes a whole country is affected. Candy could feel the weight of the world on her shoulders at this moment.

"Human, whenever you're done looking at it, just hit spare in the mercy option," said Papyrus.

Tearing her gaze away from her rare soul, she looked up at Papyrus who was puffing on a blunt while reading a book. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed since by wanting to look at her soul, she had asked her best friend's uncle to tear it out of her chest.

"R-right. Thanks Mister Papyrus," sheepishly said Candy, bowing low.

Papyrus merely grunted as a response. Smiling, Candy reached to press the mercy button and select spare. The battle was over and her soul was pushed back into her chest as smoothly as a hot knife slicing butter. Candy noticed Frisk was looking pretty pale, which surprised her. For the time she has come to know Frisk, she had completely gotten over her depression of her husband and son being gone for the time being. Candy gingerly placed a hand on her arm, which shook Frisk out of her worried daze though her expression did not change.

"What's wrong?" asked Candy.

Frisk shook her head to clear her mind of all negativity and smiled unconvincingly down at her son's friend.

"I'm just worried that his thirteenth birthday will be here soon. I'm worried that he won't be able to load before his birthday which may or may not cause side effects. I accidentally changed Alphys into a guy like that. What if Franley turns Sans into a woman? I mean, as long as it simultaneously makes me into a guy I won't complain too much, but..." Frisk rambled and trailed off, fidgeting with her fingers on the hem of her blouse as she bit her lower lip and sweat formed and trailed down from her temples to her jawline.

"Ma'am, I have faith in Franley that he will make it in time. We just have to stay determined. For his sake and for our own so we don't drive ourselves insane with these what ifs," Candy said strongly, narrowing her eyes as she gave a brave smile in the face of life's random roll of the dice should it come to that.

Frisk looked down at Candy and felt as if she was staring back at her old self. Before she was a teenager, when she had her powers. The shocked expression turned warm and into a lively smile leaving Candy to smile back. Frisk laid a hand on her shoulder and knelt down.

"Do you think you would want to one day marry my son? You remind me of someone who is a natural leader, but stronger. I can arrange everything if you tell me yes," asked Frisk seriously.

Candy backed away and blushed furiously.

"M-m-marry?! I'm only nine! I don't know what or where I'll be in the years to come," Candy said frazzled.

"Hahahaha! Well of course I know you won't know since not even I know. I mean, think about it as you and my son continue to bond as friends. When your eighteenth birthday comes, let me know if you've made a decision yet," laughed Frisk.

Candy looked down and fought back the tears as she remembered how her family had told her over and over how no one would ever love her and if they said they did that they were liars and only wanted to use her. She looked up at Frisk whose face was genuinely happy to have Candy around, but Candy couldn't ignore the seeds of doubt her family had planted in her at such a young and impressional age. They had videos and photos of her sibling, but none of her at all.

"Momma, Dadda, I want to go to school like him," Candy had said at the age of 4.

"What would a school do with a brat like you? You're dumber than a box of rocks!" scoffed her dad as he slammed his bottle of whiskey down on the end table.

"Your father's right, dear. You weren't even planned, so if we, your parents, don't want you, what makes you think anyone else would," her mother asked in a sickly sweet voice which was ironic given how venomous her words were.

Candy had balled her hands into fists.

"I-I'm not dumb! I know two plus two already! I know my basic shapes already as well!" she cried, her eyes wet with tears forming.

Her father had stopped the whiskey that was about to touch his lips and smirked.

"Is that all? Everyone knows those things. That doesn't make you special. But, I will say...I didn't expect you to even know those things at all," smirked her dad as he took a swig.

"If I can surprise you like that, then if you let me attend school, then I can surprise you more! Please? I just want you to love and be proud of me," choked Candy. The tears were spilling, but she didn't care. She was in pain. She was in need. She needed her parents' love and approval. She needed them to hold her and tell her they were sorry and that they always loved her. She dropped to her knees and balled up the carpet in her fists as she wailed all the pain out. Her father and mother winced in annoyance at her sobbing. He downed the rest of the whiskey and threw it at her head, yelling at her to shut up. She couldn't hear him even though she felt the bottle break against her head, a few pieces making her head bleed. She only cried harder. Thoroughly annoyed, her father stood up and walked over to Candy, his hand harshly gripping her hair on her already bleeding head. Pawing at his hands in hopes to loosen his grip, he threw her in her bedroom and slammed the door, locking it from the outside.

Candy shuddered, trying to will the memories back into the back of her mind where they had been all these past months.

"I finally made it here. This definitely means I'm almost done down here," whispered Franley to himself as he stared at the building.

"Welcome to MTT Resort! Whether you're staying or passing through, MTT Resort prides itself on both those things!" enthusiastically said a small, colorful triangular monster.

"Uh, thanks," awkwardly smiled Franley.

He looked to the left and noticed the sign that mentioned food. His stomach gurgled and he was already starting to feel heavy lidded from fatigue. He shook his head.

"I can't succumb to sleep. I don't have much time left," Franley muttered, shaking his head violently to stay awake.

He checked his phone and narrowed his eyes.

"30 days left. Shit...This isn't good at this rate," he cursed.

He walked into the restaurant, not noticing the burger joint. A big blob monster was busy writing important information down in some book for it to notice Franley walk in. Suddenly he felt extremely dizzy and saw the scene unfold before him.

"Ooh! A memory of my mom and dad! But...is there enough time for this? I sure hope so," Franley excitedly said while wincing about the time scrunch.

Frisk was sitting down at the fancy table, looking around like a curious child. Sans, on the other side, was patiently waiting to have Frisk's attention. Sans' browline was furrowed and magic sweat was forming on his skull.

"It looks like dad is about to say something important to mom. Wait...don't tell me he actually feels something romantic for her here? She was only ten!" flinched Franley.

He shook his head, telling himself his dad wasn't a creeper. Sans' clearing his throat caught the attention of Frisk and Franley both at once. Sans sheepishly smiled, trying to look confident.

"So, you're finally here," Sans started, his voice low and serious. Frisk couldn't tear her eyes away now. Frisk and Franley both felt the air get heavy with seriousness. So Frisk only nodded, her mouth slightly open. Sans closed his eyes and nodded too and opened his eyes again.

"You really wanna leave the underground, huh?" Sans asked, looking away from Frisk, worry etched on his features. Frisk looked down, suddenly feeling guilty for her selfish desire to leave after everything she has seen.

"You already got friends, drink, and food down here," Sans said, trying desperately to convince her to stay while trying to sound indifferent about what she chooses. Yes he wants her to stay, but he doesn't want to guilt her into staying. Franley picked up on how his dad is feeling.

"Dad just wanted his friend to stay with him," Franley muttered, "But he didn't want to force her to stay. He wanted to give her the choice and make sure she wouldn't feel bad about whatever she chose."

Clearing his throat again, this time due to nerves, Sans took a sip of his water before talking again, "Trust me, I know the feeling of wanting to leave bucko," Sans said, letting out a nervous laugh before his features turning worried and nervous again. He looked her in her deep, brown eyes.

"Is what you have to do...really worth it?" he asked grimly, making Frisk shift in her seat uncomfortably. Franley could tell she didn't really want to leave anymore, but he could sense something else now and his eyes widened.

"Mom went from wanting to free herself to wanting to free everyone in this moment," he gasped.

Sans sighed, wiping the sweat off his skull with one of his bony hands. He wiped his hand on his pant leg and took Frisk's hand, making her jump a little out of surprise, and he had a warm expression on his face to try and calm her nerves down a little. He could sense her rigidness, and that wasn't his intention. He wants her to feel at ease when she makes her decision.

"Let me tell you a story," Sans spoke low and softly, much like how a father would to his child when they're about to tell their child a huge secret that could very well be a game changer. Franley unconsciously leaned closer.

"You know how I work as a sentry in Snowdin forest?" Sans started, his voice still soft like a feather.

Frisk's features softened too, an obvious effect from Sans' calm demeanor, and nodded slowly. He tightened his grip on her hand a little before loosening it so it rested on her hand reassuringly.

"Hmm. Well, it gets pretty boring there after a while," he winked at her, "So, I decided to take a walk deeper into the forest until I came across this great, big door."

Frisk knew what he was talking about. It was the same door Toriel had threatened to break so no one would be able to leave the Ruins ever again. The door Frisk had to fight Toriel for, by killing her a few times by accident until she tried sparing her as she got hit by fire attacks over and over, still sparing the monster she called mother. When Frisk was wobbly on her legs, clothes ragged looking, hair singed, burn marks on her skin, Toriel began to miss on purpose, and Frisk continued sparing her. She remembered how the flower remembered everything and shuddered. Sans gingerly squeezed her hand again, noticing her discomfort, and his warmth brought her back to where they were and she felt safe again.

"I decided to practice knock knock jokes on it. So I did. I was practicing, knocking them out as usual until one day, I knocked, and I heard a woman's voice. I said 'knock knock'. She had said 'who's there?'"

Frisk leaned in some more, interested in the story even more now that her mother was involved, which caused Sans to smile a bit more.

"So I naturally responded 'dishes'. 'Dishes who?'. Dishes a really bad joke," Sans chuckled, his eyes still holding onto Frisk's eyes, but in a warm, fatherly fashion.

"She howled with laughter, like it was the best joke she has ever heard. She asked me to come by more. So I did, and I did, and I did."

Frisk was smiling brightly at this point. She loved how her favorite skeleton and mother were practically friends. She loved hearing about how they shared a love for puns. She wanted nothing more than to be with both of them forever.

"But," he said, his tone darker and worry back on his face, causing Frisk's smile to fade and wonder what he'll say next. Franley was also deeply invested in this story.

"She wasn't laughing as much one day. And I heard her sobbing softly behind the door. I ceased my puns to ask her what was wrong," Sans paused, allowing Frisk to take everything he said so far in.

Frisk nodded, prodding him to continue the story. Exhaling, Sans continued.

"She told me 'if a human ever comes through this door, please protect them...will you not?'. Kid, I'm gonna level with ya. I hate making promises, and I barely know this woman. But a woman who sincerely loves bad puns has an integrity you just can't say no to. So I told her I promised her I would look after a human. Then you came along," Sans croaked the last sentence as if he was fighting back tears. He composed himself rather quickly, wanting to appear strong in front of Frisk for her sake.

"Do you get what I'm telling you?" he asked darkly, his voice low and disturbing in a sense. He had let go of Frisk's hand. Her hand felt cold suddenly, the air hitting it. Frisk could only look at Sans with a questioning expression on her face.

"If she hadn't asked me to make her that promise, do you know what would have happened to ya...pal?"

Frisk's eyes slowly widened with realization and shock. Sans turning his head to face her without the lights in his eyes only confirmed her sneaking suspicion, making her blood turn cold and goosebumps appeared everywhere on her from head to toe.

"Y o u ' d."

Franley was frozen in place as was Frisk. Neither one of them had ever seen Sans like this. Before any of them had enough time to process what he had just said, the light appeared in Sans' sockets again. Sans, a little roughly, patted Frisk on her shoulder a few times to try and jolt her out of her stupor.

"Lighten up, bucko. I'm just joking," chuckled Sans, his voice back to normal, void of any fear or worry. Frisk blinked as she was brought back from her shocked daze. Sans closed his eyes, stood up, and walked away from the table a bit before he stopped and turned around to look at Frisk.

"By the way, take care of yourself kid. Cause someone really cares about you," Sans said in a soft tone before walking away in a shortcut. Franley watched his mother sit at the table a while until he was pulled from the memory. He blinked his eyes a few times to try and stop the searing dizziness. Once it faded, he freaked out a little and checked his phone.

"Shit! Only twenty nine days left now!" Franley hissed quietly.

He turned around to leave the fancy restaurant. He really wanted to treat himself to fanciness, but settled on the burger joint.

"Welcome to MTT Burger Emporium. Home of the Glamburger," said a roughed up looking 49 year old monster.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Burgerpants are you?" asked Franley, suddenly remembering the stories his mom told him about Burgerpants and his quest to belong with the in crowd.

Burgerpants looked at him sharply, now noticing how he is literally half human, half monster, and his eyes widened.

"I am. You wouldn't happen to be related to my little buddy, are you? Uh, my little buddy is a small human child," asked Burgerpants.

"Well, your little buddy grew up and had me. She's my mom," smiled Franley.

Burgerpants lit up the cigarette he put in his mouth and took a deep inhale and blew the smoke out slowly.

"Your mother helped me become friends with Bratty and Catty. They both left to go to the surface, but since there are still monsters down here, I'm still stuck behind this counter at this job. Technically, I should have moved to the surface since my boss's sister lives up there! But! No one else would know how to run this joint. I already wasted my life at the age of nineteen. What's the use anymore? I'm already 49," said Burgerpants.

"Dude, just leave this joint and go to the surface," blandly said Franley.

"It's not that easy, new little buddy. It's not that easy."

Rolling his eyes, he took out some gold. "Can I just get a legendary hero sandwich? I'm pressed for time," asked Franley, rubbing his face with his hand.

Without saying a word, Burgerpants went into the back to grab a legendary hero sandwich, put it in the microwave to heat it up. When it beeped, Burgerpants put the hot sandwich in a paper wrap, put it in a bag, and gave Franley the sandwich while counting the gold he owed for the sandwich. He was left with only three gold pieces. Mumbling a thanks while Burgerpants exhaled more smoke and nodding, he left the burger shop and ate the sandwich as he walked towards the Core.


	18. Twenty Nine Days

AMS

TWENTY NINE DAYS

Walking up to the Core, Franley felt a mix of apprehension as well as determination to finish what he started what felt like so long ago. It had been mere months, but it felt like decades ago that in front of him Flowey had killed his father. The shock in his father's eyesockets as he reached out for Franley before turning to dust. The tears that streamed down Franley's face at the realization that he would be without his father for a while for the first time in his life. The way his father's dust spread all over the flowers, and how some landed on Flowey's petals while Flowey smirked like the evil bastard he is. Franley clenched his hands into fists as he finally came to accept that it had happened. It had happened for a reason. He knows the reason now. It was to help shape him into the man he is today. That's right. He is no longer just a kid with his parents' powers. He is a man who has experienced loss and overcame struggles; a man whose own powers came into existence. He knew that once he loaded, he would have to start over with his training. But he could care less. As long as his dad was around to teach and guide him. As long as his dad was around to keep his mother sane and happy. As long as his dad was around to one day cry tears of joy as his son married Candy and, hopefully, Prisk. As long as his dad, a very old wise King one day, pats his son on the shoulder and smiles a "I'm-so-proud-of-you" smile that speaks volumes as they watch humans and monsters live and work together.

He reached the Core's elevator and pressed the button. Relieved that it still works, it took him next to a flashy door with the Delta Rune around it. He calmly walked through the door just to stop and grab his head as he became dizzy. He opened his eyes, watching his mother who was no longer scared of anything. Her stick in hand, she confidently walked up to Mettaton.

"MY MY! SO YOU FINALLY ARRIVED! TIME TO STOP THE 'MALFUNCTIONING ROBOT'," Mettaton said, making air quotes.

"NOT! MALFUNCTION? REPROGRAMMING? GET REAL!"

Frisk's confidence wavered as she took a step back, unable to grasp what Mettaton was implying. She shook her head defiantly, not wanting to believe that Alphys, her new friend, had lied to her. She convinced herself that it was all part of Mettaton's act so he could get her guard down and take her soul.

Mettaton's dark chuckle broke her out of her thoughts, pulling her harshly back down to reality.

"ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL THIS WHOLE TIME. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS," said Mettaton, mentally smirking to himself as he watched Frisk show the hurt and betrayal that stung to her.

"FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW WITHOUT A TWIST?" he asked, holding his hands up.

Frisk looked back up at him, clenching tightly on her stick. The one thing that had not lied to her. The one thing she knew she could count on to keep her safe. But then she thought of Toriel. Toriel would surely save her if she had followed Frisk out of the Ruins. Then she thought of Sans. He would no doubt create a shortcut for them to just get out of this situation. But then she looked around them and saw cameras. Back in Snowdin, Sans and Papyrus were sitting on the couch, watching Frisk eye the cameras suspiciously.

"C'mon, kid. Stay determined. You can do this. I would get you out of there, but if I bailed you out of your troubles all the time, you won't grow," Sans thought as he crossed his fingers.

Papyrus was eating a large bowl of spaghetti.

"BROTHER, DO YOU THINK THAT THE HUMAN WILL BE OKAY?" asked Papyrus.

"S-sure, bro. This is the kid we're talking about. She's got this since she got past you, right? After all, you're the greatest guardsman ever," nervously laughed Sans.

"YOU'RE RIGHT BROTHER! I DON'T KNOW WHY I WAS SO WORRIED!" smiled Papyrus.

Franley smiled. He found it interesting that he could see both events unfold at once, but thought nothing else of it.

"ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL THIS WHOLE TIME. DURING OUR BATTLE, SHE WILL INTERRUPT BY COMING THROUGH THAT DOOR OVER THERE, SAVING YOU ONE FINAL TIME. YOU'LL REGARD HER SO HIGHLY THAT SHE'LL CONVINCE YOU TO STAY! OR NOT. EVERYONE OUT THERE! GET READY FOR THE FINAL ACT, ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT! REAL DRAMA! REAL ACTION! REAL BLOODSHED! ON TONIGHT'S SHOW, ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!"

The stage rose drastically, the cameras following the stage while Frisk held onto her stick tightly. Her soul turned yellow again, and she instantly started using it to shoot at him, thinking it actually did damage to him last time.

"THAT LITTLE PEA SHOOTER DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO ME, DARLING. HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF ACTING?" internally smirked Mettaton.

Frisk stopped shooting as her jaw clenched. She knew she was in trouble now. Suddenly, her phone began ringing. Mettaton noticed how Frisk was struggling to decide whether or not to answer it since she was sure Alphys was working against her. So, he decided to help her decide.

"IS THAT YOUR PHONE? YOU'D BETTER ANSWER IT."

Furrowing her brow and swallowing her pride, she answered the phone wordlessly, listening to Alphys tell her to turn Mettaton around to flip his switch to make him vulnerable. After she hung up, she sighed.

"At this point, mom is wondering what else has she got to lose," muttered Franley.

He noticed Sans' jaw is clenched in nervousness while Papyrus ate his spaghetti. Papyrus was so sure Frisk would get past Mettaton. Frisk pointed behind Mettaton, telling him about a mirror.

"A MIRROR? RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR FINALE. WHERE IS IT?" Mettaton asked.

Smirking, Frisk flipped his switch. He didn't move or speak at first and she wondered if he was turned off. Her breath was caught in her throat in anticipation. She wanted to hear from Alphys that she once again foiled Mettaton's plan.

"DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?" slowly asked Mettaton in a deep, baritone voice, causing Frisk to flinch and shudder.

Mettaton turned around and started shaking violently. A bright light flashed, causing Frisk to shield her eyes, and then darkness came. Stage lights flipped on, and Frisk could see a silhouette of a body swaying mesmerizingly.

"OH YES. SO YOU WERE DESPERATE TO SEE THE PREMIERE OF MY NEW BODY. HOW RUDE. LUCKY FOR YOU I'VE BEEN ACHING TO SHOW THIS OFF. AS A REWARD, I'LL MAKE YOUR LAST MOMENTS-"

Suddenly lights flooded the room and Frisk gasped at how gorgeous Mettaton became while he held a leg up, covered an eye with a hand, and stuck his tongue out.

"ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!"

When the music started, Frisk looked around frantically, trying to figure out where it was coming from as Mettaton approached her. She looked down at the box with narrative in it.

"Mettaton NEO makes his premiere."

He began dancing wildly to try and stop the rating from falling. Frisk caught on. She figured if she gives him more ratings, he will cease the fighting. Before she had time to form a plan, he began striking at her with his feet as he danced. She dodged quickly, trying to gain some distance between them. He stopped chasing her and was now dancing in one spot. She chose act and decided to boast she wouldn't get hit.

"That's bold of mom," blinked Franley.

Smirking wildly, Mettaton resumed to attacking her with dancing which she dodged expertly. The ratings were raising fast during that moment, but resumed to dropping once Mettaton stopped attacking. Frisk boasted again and dodged his attacks, smiling widely when she saw the ratings were rising.

"WELL, ARE YOU THE HERO? WILL YOU SAVE THE UNDERGROUND? I'LL SHOW YOU THE TRUE POWER OF A STAR!" huffed Mettaton, annoyance clear in his voice.

His heart appeared again, and she resumed dodging his attacks until the use of his heart cause his legs to fall off. He was now a body and a head. She glanced up at the ratings and saw that they were now over 100,000.

"OOH! LOOK AT ALL THESE RATINGS! TIME TO ACCEPT A CALLER BEFORE I LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER! HI! YOU'RE ON TV!"

Franley and Frisk could hear loud and clear who was on the other line, and their expressions softened into pity and sadness as Napstablook spoke about how he'll miss Mettaton. They noticed Mettaton was looking pretty sad too, and were surprised when he tried to stop Napstablook from hanging up but was too late. He took more calls that resulted in the same feelings of sadness and warmth.

"AH. I SEE. DARLING, MAYBE I SHOULD DELAY MY BIG DEBUT. HUMANS ALREADY HAVE STARS AND IDOLS. BUT MONSTERS...THEY ONLY HAVE ME. IF I LEFT, THE UNDERGROUND WOULD LOSE ITS SPARK. IT WOULD LEAVE AN ACHING VOID THAT COULD NEVER BE FILLED," Mettaton sadly spoke to Frisk as his voice began to crackle since his batteries were running out of juice.

Frisk pulled Mettaton into an embrace as she wept for him. Mettaton wished he still had his arms so he could embrace her back.

"IT'S FOR THE BEST. BESIDES, YOU'VE PROVEN TO BE PRETTY STRONG. PERHAPS STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAT ASGORE. KNOCK EM DEAD, DARLING. AND EVERYONE! THANK YOU! YOU'VE BEEN A WONDERFUL AUDIENCE!" Mettaton said through the cracking of his voice. The lights in his eyes faded and he stopped talking.

The door unlocked and Alphys came running in, the cameras still on for everyone to see. Sans and Papyrus were relieved Frisk was okay, but were now worried about Mettaton.

"The door is finally unlocked. Anyway, are you o-...Mettaton? Mettaton! Mettaton please..." Alphys suddenly got quiet, making Frisk's breath catch in her throat. She thought for sure Alphys would want revenge for hurting her robot unintentionally. Until Alphys turned to face her with a wary smile.

"Thank GOD it's just the batteries," shakily chuckled Alphys.

Frisk and everyone else let out a deep sigh of relief.

"I mean, even if you did break him it's no big deal. H-he's just a robot I could easily make...another," Alphys said, looking down as she grew quiet.

It was then that Frisk had a sneaking suspicion that Mettaton wasn't just a robot. That he was somehow more than that. Alphys sniffed and rubbed her eyes from under her glasses.

"You can go on. I just need a moment," sniffed Alphys.

Franley felt himself being pulled along as his mother silently left Alphys alone with Mettaton as she continued forward with her head down. Halfway through the hallway, Frisk stopped and turned when she heard rapid footsteps behind her. It was Alphys, readjusting her glasses and attempting to look formal. They stood still for a minute, Frisk waiting to see if Alphys had anything to say. When she came to the conclusion she didn't, Frisk kept moving forward with Alphys right behind her. Alphys was fidgeting, and Frisk felt nervous with Alphys right behind her.

"S-so," Alphys started.

The walking ceased and Frisk turned around to pay attention.

"Y-you're about to meet the King," nervously chuckled Alphys as she looked up into Frisk's eyes.

"You must be pretty excited about all that, huh?"

Frisk went to looking nervous again and looked down, not knowing what to expect when she meets the King. All she knows is she is going to try talking to him. To try and come up with a solution that benefits everyone. Alphys was sweating magic pretty bad at this point. Franley noticed monster sweat was a lot different from human sweat. Sans' sweat had smelled like blue raspberries, and Alphys' sweat smelled like lemons. Plus, the way it acted, it didn't stick to their bodies at all. It just formed and slid off, not leaving a train behind. Alphys caught on to how Frisk was feeling about meeting the King, knowing how Frisk wanted to approach the situation at hand. She had watched Frisk ever since the Ruins after all. So she knows how Frisk was a pacifist, not wanting to hurt a single soul. That only made her all the more nervous. When she didn't say anything more, Frisk continued walking until they came to an elevator. When Frisk pressed the button, Alphys' heartbeat accelerated even more as more sweat formed and slid off her face. Then the door opened, and Frisk took one step.

"Wait!" shouted Alphys, causing Frisk to halt and look at her, worry etched on her features for the doctor who looked so uncomfortable.

Alphys sighed, dropping her hands into her pockets and looked into Frisk's eyes.

"I lied to you," admitted Alphys.

Frisk thought she was admitting to lying to her about Mettaton, to which she nodded her head, but Alphys shook her head and held a hand up before putting it back into her pocket.

"To leave through the barrier, it takes at least a human soul...and a monster soul," Alphys looked at the ground now out of shame for not saying this sooner. She could feel Frisk's disbelieving stare on her. She felt like total scum.

"If you want to leave the underground, you'll have to take his soul. You'll have to kill the King," Alphys choked out.

She glanced up to see tears forming in Frisk's eyes, so she clenched her own eyes shut and swiftly turned around. She turned her head to face somewhat towards Frisk.

"I'm sorry."

Alphys swiftly walked back, leaving Frisk to her own thoughts. Frisk stumbled and held onto the wall for support as the weight of her future decisions pressed onto her back and shoulders. Franley was staring at his mom in shock of what a mere ten year old has been practically shoved into. These were decisions grown adults should be making. Not some kid who fell underground.

"Mom. Is this when you turn around and live with dad and uncle Papyrus?" whispered Franley.

As if Frisk was able to hear him, she shook her head no and staggered into the elevator, pressing the button that leads to the castle. He then woke up, waiting for the dizziness to subside before pulling out his phone and looking at it. He mumbled a curse.

"22 days left."


	19. Twenty Two Days

AMS

TWENTY TWO DAYS

Surprisingly, Franley and Candy have never been more calm and collected as his birthday neared closer and closer. The deadline was fast approaching, but Candy held onto her faith and Franley held onto his determination. Frisk was a mess and had Papyrus rubbing her feet while Alphys put a new invention on her head to play pleasant scenes before her to calm her down. Hot sweat trickled down Frisk's face, down her neck, staining her chest and shirt. Papyrus had burned incense and had a rotating fan on in the room. Candy had been staying over while making sure she made it to her job on the days she worked, and was now sitting at the table, coloring in a coloring book from a collection that Mabel, Dipper, his friends, and Frisk had gotten for her, plus some coloring books she had bought for herself.

Franley walked along the gray path, not missing a beat in his step as he strode gracefully. Like the prince he was always meant to be. He glanced at his phone, grateful that it still read 22 days.

"Good. I'm making progress without too much time passing."

Putting his phone back in his pocket, he looked up and thought he had somehow made it back to the Ruins. But the dead tree isn't here. And there's a box out front. He looked at the sign above the doorway.

"New Home? This must be the entrance to the castle," he murmured as he began to walk forward.

"Franley...Sans..."muttered Frisk as she had fallen asleep during her friends' attempts to make her feel better.

Alphys took the helmet off her and asked Candy to get a damp, warm cloth. Putting her crayons down, she got up from the table and grabbed a towel and ran it under warm water. Wringing it out, she trotted over to Alphys and have it to him who folded it neatly and patted her face, neck, and chest.

"Go get a clean shirt from her dresser, and go back to your coloring," said Alphys.

Papyrus had put Frisk's hair up in a bun to keep it from sticking to her face as he worriedly stroked her cheek. It worried her friends to see their best friend and Queen in this state of mind.

Franley had looked around the first room he came into, noticing it was only slightly different from the home in the Ruins. For one thing, there was a broken chain and golden flowers as decorations.

"I see you finally made it here, nephew."

Franley smiled and closed his eyes.

"Hello uncles," Franley said, just slightly above a whisper.

He turned to face them as they let out gasps at his new appearance.

"Franley? What happened to you?" asked Asriel.

Chara looked like he wanted to punch whoever dared hurt Franley. When Franley laughed at their reaction, they looked puzzled yet intrigued.

"Follow me as I look around this house and tell you what happened. You'll understand soon," smiled Franley.

Looking at each other, they nodded and followed closely behind Franley as he explained to them what had happened.

Candy came back downstairs with a large, pink and blue blouse for Frisk. Once she handed it to Alphys, she promptly went back to coloring. Papyrus carefully lifted Frisk's drenched and smelly shirt off which caused Frisk to unconsciously shudder against the cool air. Papyrus brought Frisk forward so he could unclip her equally drenched bra and flung it to the floor as he gently laid Frisk back. Goosebumps littered her skin everywhere. But the two monsters were not looking at her like they used to. They were looking at her from a concerned family's perspective. They wanted nothing more than to help her get through whatever she was going through. Her breathing was harsh, her brows knitted together in deep worry for her son and husband, as well as herself and everyone else. Alphys gingerly wiped down her whole front and back with the towel which was now cold, but it still did its job in wiping her excess sweat off, and then he put the blouse on her. He then filled a tall glass with ice cold water, went back to her and slowly poured the liquid down her throat, carefully as to not make her choke while Papyrus titled her head back and used his other hand to part her lips. Once they were done, they sat down and stayed by her side in case of an emergency.

"So that's what happened. Well...it's a good thing that you're okay and that this was just something that was meant to happen," sighed Chara.

Franley only nodded as he looked around in the kitchen. He opened the fridge and regretted it as he only saw cans of snails. Literally nothing else. He took out the rest of the legendary hero and began eating it. Once he was finished, he felt full, but tried to stifle a yawn.

"Dude, you look like you haven't slept in days. You need to rest," advised Asriel, his features unreadable.

"I can't rest. I only have so many days left before loading becomes a risk," yawned Franley.

"If you don't rest, you can die," said Chara.

"Death doesn't mean anything to me. I can just regenerate," said Franley as he blinked several times to try and stay awake, but every blink made him all the more tired and it became a chore to re open his eyes.

"Franley, just rest. You'll be fine," ordered Asriel.

Franley sighed and checked his phone. Then, he glared tired daggers at his dead uncles.

"Fine. But I don't like it. I have a feeling that my mother is going through a hard time as it is."

He walked back into the living room, through the staircase room, down the hall and into the first room he saw. He noticed this one is different as it has two beds instead of one, and two presents in the room. The side of his mouth twitched as he made his way to a bed and plopped down on it, letting sleep consume him.

"Franley!" Frisk shouted as she shot her eyes open and bolted upright.

Papyrus and Alphys' eyes snapped open to hold Frisk back from moving off the couch.

"Let me go! I need to save my baby! He's all alone!" screamed Frisk.

"Frisk, your son is okay! He will be back before you know it!" yelled Papyrus, hoping to get through to her.

But she was flailing, sobbing, sobbing and flailing. Candy came running into the room and grabbed her wrists to stop her from flailing anymore, and looked her straight in the eyes with strong willed eyes of her own. Frisk froze in place and stared back into Candy's eyes. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she was no longer having a panic attack.

"Franley will be back. Have faith in your son. He is not helpless. He has your powers as well as his father's powers. Maybe even a combination of your guys' powers combined," Candy said, her tone strong but even.

Frisk could only nod in silence as her wrists were set free and she allowed Papyrus and Alphys to gently push her back into the couch's embrace, sleep consuming her once again as she calmed down.

When Franley woke back up, he stretched his arms and legs, and he felt extremely refreshed. It took him a moment to realize where he was and what his mission was since for the first time, he hadn't dreamed of anything. It was nothing but calming darkness in his sleep. And then it hit him as he fumbled for his phone. His blood froze in his veins.

"10 days left?" he squeaked.

Getting up immediately, he rushed out the room, ignoring the open, empty presents. He had a feeling his mother was the one who had opened them long ago anyway since everything down here seems to consist of his mother and father's doing. He ran down the hall and checked the King's room. He saw a diary open and read it.

"Nice day today," he hastily read while trying to catch more of his breath.

He noticed the ink was so dry that it was starting to peel a bit here and there. The pages looked old and worn. He snooped through the room for any secrets only to find a Santa Claus outfit, a pink sweater that said Mister Dad Guy, and noted the Nose Nuzzle Champs trophy as well as the macaroni drawing for him. He felt the warmth that radiated from all these gifts as he exited the room and closed the door, making his way towards the staircase. He slid down the railing to get down faster, and was jogging through the basement, not caring that he hadn't yet caught all of his breath yet, his lungs heaving with the itch to draw in air and breathe properly. But he didn't stop. He didn't care that he was beginning to choke as pain seared through his muscles that were deprived of oxygen. Not until he came to a dead end with an elevator on one side and a hallway on the other side. His hands fell to his knees as he irregularly drew in deep gulps of air and exhaled shortly just to bring in more air into his tired lungs. Halfway through gathering his breath, he started quickly walking down the hallway that shone at the end with red and golden light. He could feel himself nearing the end, and a smile tugged at his chapped lips.

Closing the coloring book, Candy sighed as she sat down the crayon in her hand and folded her hands.

"Franley, don't leave me behind..." she silently told herself as she closed her eyes and silently prayed for him to come back to her.

Prisk looked out her window in her home, still thinking about Franley's offer and what all would entail if she accepted.

"Franley..." Prisk breathed.

Her mother had called to get Prisk's attention since dinner had been served, but Prisk didn't hear her until her father pat her back, making her jump as she turned around and nervously smiled at her parents. She glanced out the window one more time before closing the curtain for the night.

Finally making it out of the gray hallway, he stepped onto red and golden tiles. His breath was taken away by the beauty of the final corridor. He made it halfway through before the dizziness started and he saw a scene unfold.

His mother, tightly holding onto the stick as she walked through the corridor he is in now, nervousness evident on her face, looking down, she walked through until an unseen force suddenly stopped her in her tracks. She sighed, knowing who was in front of her as she looked up, not trying to appear brave or determined in front of him.

"So you're finally here. In a few moments you will meet the King. Together, you two will decide the fate of this world."

Frisk shut her eyes tightly as she gulped nervously, nodding her head in understanding.

"That's then. Now. Now, you will be judged. You will be judged for your every action. For every EXP you've earned. What's EXP stand for?"

Frisk thought back to old video games she used to play and for a moment thought it meant experience.

Sans could tell she truly didn't know.

"It's an acronym. It stands for execution points."

Frisk flinched. Suddenly the thought of playing those types of games didn't appeal to her anymore.

"The amount of pain you can afflict on others is counted by your execution points. The more EXP you gain, the more LOVE you earn. LOVE too, is an acronym."

Suddenly looking back up, she swallowed nervously as she still couldn't see Sans' features. She knew she didn't gain any of these this time around. So why was she so nervous? Because she knew she would have to face the King soon. Too soon for her liking.

"It stands for level of violence. The more pain you afflict on others, the easier it becomes to distance yourself, the more easier it is to hurt others."

She heard him take a few steps forward, stepping out of the shadows and into the light so she can properly see him. He had a warm expression on his face. He was not nervous at all, nor was he disappointed. He looked like a proud parent who had just seen their child overcome something tremendous. So why did she feel unworthy of this type of reaction? When she clearly knew she wanted to leave still just to come back later with a means to help them escape? When she now knew that in order to leave to come up with such a plan, she would have to kill their King who everyone so dearly loved and cared for? She never wanted this type of pressure. She only wanted things to be easy. But then again, that was life wasn't it? Always twisting and turning. Life always wanted to knock Frisk back a peg just when she thought she could do something easily. Just when things seem to go her way, she gets knocked off her rock and has to climb a much bigger one with less spots to place good footing. She would slip and slide off this new mountain of a rock, as she was now while trying to come up with a plan. But she couldn't plan since she had never met him yet. She swallowed the lump in her throat, still unable to say or do anything as Sans studied her.

"But you-" he began.

Frisk stared back at him, her bottom lip quivering in anxiety. Sans stepped forward until he could reach out to her. He gently placed a finger under her chin to make sure she didn't look down or away. So he could look her in the eyes as he said this.

"You never gained any LOVE. Though, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. Just, that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. You didn't gain LOVE, but you gained love. Does that make sense? Maybe not."

As he held her chin in place, his thumb made slow, comforting circles across her cheek in an effort to calm her nerves.

"If I were in your shoes, I would have thrown in the towel by now. But you didn't make it this far just to give up, did you?" he asked gently, knowing exactly what was on her mind.

Her mouth hung slightly open in surprise that he could read her. Closing her mouth, she slowly shook her head side to side to say that she did not get this far just to give up. He let go of her chin and stepped back slowly.

"Whatever you decide, I'll be rooting for ya kid. See ya," said Sans as he disappeared mysteriously in the shadows.

Frisk's grip on the stick loosened as she decided that as long as Sans would be rooting for her, no matter what, that she should have more self confidence in her abilities. She smiled, truly smiled, as she began walking down the rest of the way. When Franley came to, he was at the end of the corridor. He looked behind him at the spot where his father had encouraged his mother.

"I won't be facing the King...but I know exactly who I'll have to face," muttered Franley, knitting his brows.

He glanced at his phone, not even phased that a day passed already.

"Nine days left."


	20. Nine Days

AMS

NINE DAYS

"How's Frisk doing? Is she any better?" Candy whispered to Papyrus as he opened the door to let her in.

Papyrus sighed as he slouched. Candy didn't know it was possible for a skeleton to form dark circles under their eyesockets. Now she knew it was.

"She's only gotten worse. She sleeps most of the time unless she has to use the bathroom, and Alphys and I have to pour blended fruit down her throat to make sure she's eating. Same goes for water to make sure she's hydrated since she's sweating a lot. There are only nine days left. At this rate, she may not make it...sanity wise. She's losing her mind," frantically whispered Papyrus.

Candy blinked back the tears as she slammed her fist into a counter.

"If I, just Franley's friend, can have faith in him, then why can't his own mother?! She's just as bad as my mom! She needs to be slapped something fierce!" growled Candy, the tears falling.

She had hoped Frisk would have been better than this. Candy felt like she was the true parent for Franley. The only one who seems to have faith and trust in his abilities to take care of himself. Darn it, if Franley says what's gonna happen, she's gonna believe him!

"Candy, Frisk's son has never been in this situation before. That is why Frisk is worried about Franley. She's not worried about his physical safety, she's worried about his mental safety and what he might have seen down there. The underground was not a pleasant place. It was a prison for the monsters, though for the ones who were born and grew up down there, it was home even though none of the monsters should have gotten attached to their prison. A gilded cage is still just that. A cage. It has dark memories. For some reason, Frisk was able to see the memories of Chara since she is connected with him. Franley is connected to Chara as well as his mom. Unpleasant things happened to her that she does not want her son to see, even though he most likely saw what she went through. It's enough to make anyone go through this," Papyrus whispered.

Candy's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't taken that into account. Her fists unraveled as her hands now hung limply by her sides. She felt...guilty. For being so mad and accusing Frisk of not trusting her son. But now she realizes the truth that Frisk would rather die than allow her son to see the horrors of her past. Some things were always meant to be buried and stayed buried rather than dug back up. Even though Candy has no idea what Frisk had gone through, just by how Frisk is behaving, she can only guess that it's worse than what she has ever gone through. Much, much worse.

Franley walked down the now gray hallway and stopped in front of a large door. The sign beside it letting him know it was the throne room. But he was curious about the stairs that led downward further down the hall.

"I made it this far, I might as well keep going to see all that I can," he muttered to himself. He knew what he was doing. He was trying to delay the inevitable face off. He didn't want to face him yet. But he knows he will have to sooner or later. And sooner was preferred over the latter. Slumping his shoulders, he walked down the stairs and came face to face with a line of coffins. Each one having a different colored soul on top of it to show which humans were in which. All of them were opened and empty. The one closest to him had a red soul on it. He peered inside and saw mummy wrappings. Suddenly his vision blurred as a scene played out before him. A younger Toriel came trotting down the stairs, the fur on her face streaked with tears, her face contorted into deep despair. Grunting, she pushed the top of the coffin off to reveal a mummified kid inside, bandaged from head to toe. As she wept more tears silently, she unraveled the wrappings to reveal a dead Chara whose whole face was pale and lips were blue. He didn't look peaceful. He looked betrayed, hurt, angry. She held the cold body against hers as she stroked his hair while sobbing for the loss of her second child. Through her tears and shaky voice, she began humming a song, as if trying to soothe his soul. But the song could not reach him as he was too far gone from his body and from her. Not letting go of her grip on his body, she hurried back up the steps. The scene changed to show the room where his dad had been killed by Flowey; the room his uncle and mother had fallen down in. There were a handful of flowers already, but not as much as there was when his dad showed him. Setting the body aside, she began digging into the ground using her hands, not caring that it hurt her hands. To her, it only made her somewhat closer to her deceased children, to feel this type of physical pain. She knew it was nothing compared to how they felt when the humans attacked them when they shared one body. Oh how painful that must have been. The fusion had put on a brave face for her when they stumbled back home. Toriel and Asgore were too much in shock to actually feel any sorrow yet as they watched the fusion of their children bleed and turn to dust while smiling and reaching out for them. Once a deep hole had been dug and her paws stung and bled, she gingerly caressed the body as she brought him to her chest and began shushing him as if he were crying.

"Hush now little one. May you rest in peace," she whispered through tears.

After she had said her silent prayer for him and Asriel's souls, she carefully sat Chara in the ground and covered him back up. She clenched her dress afterwards, getting her blood on her gown but not caring one bit. Again, it only made her feel closer to how her children felt. Standing up, she wiped her tears on her sleeve and walked back to her home. When she walked away, a whole lot more golden flowers sprouted up from the ground. Without warning, scenes sped by as Franley watched other human children fall onto the patch of flowers. By the time the last child before his mom had died, he saw Flowey pop up in the room.

"Where are my arms? Where are my legs?! Why am I a flower?! Chara! Chara where are you!? Please don't leave me! Please wake up! I'm all alone!" sobbed Flowey.

Franley knows from the True Lab that Alphys had created Flowey, but this was new to him.

"Flowey had thought I was my uncle...How did Flowey know Chara if he appeared after Chara died?" muttered Franley, not knowing what to make of the scene.

Flowey had disappeared and went back to the castle where he saw Asgore crying and holding onto the flower.

"It's going to be okay, Asriel," the King said in a deep, shaky baritone voice.

"ASRIEL?!" shrieked Franley.

But the flower only looked perplexed as the King continued crying. It looked as if he was uncomfortable with the display of emotions. Flowey went to talk to Toriel, who, instead of crying like Asgore did, she smiled and read stories to him while she offered him butterscotch pie. Flowey, this time, looked like he was really trying to connect with her, but after a while, he looked more and more uncomfortable. Again, he found Flowey in the room where his uncle was buried.

"Hey Chara. Still sleeping huh?" Flowey asked in a shaky voice before sighing.

Franley suddenly felt so bad for Flowey. He had no idea who he really was all this time.

"For some reason, I can't feel anything. I must not have a soul. It makes sense, since I'm a worthless flower now. I just wish you were here, Chara. I can predict the King and Queen...but I could never predict you. I just know that if you were here, you'd be able to entertain me for all eternity. I wouldn't have to feel so...empty...if you were here. So what do you say? Will you please wake up? Wait. Maybe I should come to you!"

Franley watched in horror as Flowey brought himself to death. But then...

"Huh? I'm alive again? This is where I was before. At my save point! A new power? This could be fun," smiled Flowey.

Franley watched as Flowey got creative with the many ways he could kill himself, and each time he did, he brought himself back to his save point. Each time, his smile dimmed little by little until he got bored with the fact he could bring himself back.

"Huh! I wonder what would happen if I helped everybody with all their problems. With these powers, I should be able to! Oh I can't wait until I hear what they say and see their reactions to a flower helping them!"

"This should be interesting," muttered Franley as he tapped his chin in concentration.

He completely forgot about the time left as he focused on the vision. He watched the vision time lapse as Flowey helped everyone, over and over until finally, he no longer smiled, no longer laughed. Soon, he saw a scowl form on Flowey's face.

"Well, I've exhausted that run," grumbled Flowey. Suddenly his head shot up as if he had the greatest idea ever.

"I wonder what would happen...if I killed them all," Flowey asked himself as he cackled like a maniac.

Franley's eyes widened.

"What?!"

In a time lapse again, he watched and felt sick to his stomach as he watched a mere flower kill everyone in sight and grow stronger with each kill. He eventually came to face against a slightly younger looking Sans.

"Oh, it's just you, Smiley Trashbag. And here I thought I'd have a real challenge," Flowey then sighed as if bored. Sans' twitched in irritation at the insult.

"How can you honestly think I'm not a challenge, when you clearly have never seen how I fight?" Sans asked in a low, threatening tone.

Flowey rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on. All you ever do is laze around and do nothing! You didn't stop me when I killed your pathetic brother who said I can do better. So what are you going to do now? You're the only one left, and I have so much power! I know you can't beat me even though I've never seen a scene like this ever play out before in all the runs I ever did. In literally every other run where I'm helping everyone, do you know what you do?" Flowey asked in a sickly sweet voice.

Sans' eyesockets widened then narrowed at realizing Flowey is the anomaly.

"What do I do?" Sans asked through gritted teeth.

"In a run where I helped your brother become part of the Royal Guard, you weren't even around to congratulate him! All you did was stay in your lab where you drunk ketchup until you passed out and slept for abnormal amounts of time! You broke your brother's heart and angered him, so I had to fix your mess and help make him happy again. This is the first time ever that you have actually tried to do anything other than make bad puns, drink ketchup, and sleep!" cackled Flowey.

Sans looked down and scoffed. He could be lying to Sans just to get him riled up... But Sans had an inkling that the flower wasn't lying. That Sans was just that bad at being a brother. If that was true, then Sans chose the wrong timeline to actually shows he cares about his brother.

"If you take one more step, you're really not going to like what happens next," growled Sans lowly.

That only excited Flowey. So he took another step forward. Sans head snapped up with an eye glowing blue, and the fight began. Franley saw Flowey die over and over and over until he lost count. By the ten millionth death, Flowey decided to give up and experiment with what would happen if he only killed this monster. Once he found out the answer he killed a different monster. He did this up until he loaded one day, and Frisk fell below. When she fell, Flowey smirked and went into the next room to wait for her to come to him. Franley's eyes shot open as he rubbed his head. He looked at his phone and winced.

"Five days left. I gotta keep moving!"

Franley ran until he was in front of the doors to the throne room again, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Asriel...now I know," Franley said to himself in a low tone. Exhaling so his muscles wouldn't be tense as much as they were, he reached out to grab the handle, and he opened the door.


	21. Five Days

AMS

FIVE DAYS

"Flowey," Franley breathed.

The flower didn't move from where he was. He was staring out a side window with light pouring in. For a moment, he saw a shred of Asriel in the soulless flower. But then Flowey turned and looked at him. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't upset either. There was an unreadable expression on his face. Franley breathed and walked closer.

"Chara? Why is half of you a skeleton?" asked Flowey, his eyes narrowing.

"Flowey...I was never Chara. Chara is my uncle. As for why I look like this...my father is Sans," Franley softly said.

Flowey got closer to examine Franley.

"Y-you're related to that Smiley Trashbag? But you're also related to my best friend?" hissed Flowey.

"I'm also related to Frisk. You once thought she was also Chara," gulped Franley.

Now Flowey looked mad.

"I don't know who this Frisk you're talking about is! So I know you're lying to me!" shouted Flowey.

A vine shot up from below but Franley quickly caught it in his hand, startling Flowey. Flowey, for the first time in a long time, was shocked. When he looked at Franley's face, he had expected him to show anger, shock, or confusion. But the one thing he hadn't counted on, was the sorrow and pity on Franley's facial features. Scoffing, Flowey retracted the vine back into the ground.

"Can I show you something?" Franley asked.

"What? Your most prized possession? I've seen them all before! It's most likely some type of item. Most likely a picture," Flowey rolled his eyes.

Franley laughed lightly, catching Flowey by surprise once again.

"Well, it is a picture. But it's proof of there being a Frisk who you thought was Chara," explained Franley.

Now Flowey was intrigued.

"This person is going to attempt to prove me wrong in something? Hmm," thought Flowey, a small smile curling at his lips as he scooted closer while Franley took out his wallet.

He opened the wallet and took out the picture. It showed Sans, Frisk, and Franley as a baby in Frisk's arms. She was wearing a larger blue and purple striped sweater, her hair was cut shoulder length again, and was wearing black leggings. Sans, much taller than her, wore a beige sweater and dark blue jeans with a light blue scarf around his neck as his arm draped around Frisk's shoulders. Flowey squinted as he remembered the kid.

"So...that human from back then wasn't Chara...but is this woman here? This is Frisk?" asked Flowey, looking up at Franley.

"Mmhmm. She grew up and had me with my dad, Sans," smiled Franley.

Flowey shook a little and then his face transformed to look like Asriel's face.

"Franley! By surprising Flowey, now's your chance to load! There's nothing else to learn here! Up ahead is just the broken barrier!" warned Asriel through Flowey.

Franley nodded, about to kill himself when...

"I still have no idea what happened to the King," Franley whispered.

He checked his phone.

"Three days left."

Franley ran ahead while Asriel stared in disbelief. Flowey's body once again began to shake as Flowey regained control. He looked around, wondering where Franley went. His face scowled as he was angry that the only one in so long to actually take him by surprise more than once went off somewhere.

Franley stopped when he came face to face with the broken barrier. He could see the sunlight at the end of it. As if on cue, his vision blurred and he eagerly watched the scene before him. His mom approached the throne room, and looked down at her stick with furrowed brows. Scoffing at herself, she broke the stick and tossed the remnants to the ground. Smiling some, she held her head high and walked into the throne room. The King had his back turned as she approached, wincing as every step she took made a crinkling sound.

"Is someone there? Hold on, please. I have almost finished watering these flowers," sweetly said Asgore.

Feeling somewhat better about her encounter with him, Frisk stayed perfectly still, being patient as she folded her hands in front of her. He shook what was left of the water out of the watering can and onto the flowers, an accomplished smile crosses his features, causing his crows feet to become more pronounced. When he turned around, Frisk's breath caught in her throat. He was so majestic. Just as Toriel was when Frisk had first met her. Frisk had thought Toriel was tall, but Asgore was much taller than her.

"Howdy! How can I-" he suddenly opened his eyes and his smile disappeared, making Frisk shift in her spot. She only made her smile grow, hoping she could convince him that fighting wasn't the way to solve their problems. Asgore obviously looked conflicted as he had stumbled backwards a bit. He swallowed the lump in his throat that had prevented him from speaking and he turned away, not wanting to melt into her smile anymore than he already had. He had to stay strong. For the sake of his subjects. Everyone had been counting on this encounter. He knows what he must do versus what he really wants to do. He really just wants to take this human child in as his own, go find Toriel, and be a family again. But he knows it's not possible.

"Oh," Asgore stays staring out the window for a bit while Frisk stays where she is. He suddenly turns to face her by not actually looking at her.

"I so badly want to say 'would you like a cup of tea', but...you know how it is." He turns away from her once again, walking up to the window as he sees out the side of the mountain they are in. He can see the surface world, but cannot touch it. Not yet at least.

"Nice day today, huh?" he asks while smiling awkwardly, trying to be somewhat pleasant, trying to procrastinate his duty to his people. Frisk smiles and nods at him, which causes the lump in his throat to appear again. Franley could clearly see the King's conflictions.

"Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. Perfect weather for a game of catch," this time Asgore beamed as he temporarily forgot he had to kill this smiling child who had made it this far. Up until this point, it had been his sentries who had to get blood on their hands. No one had ever made it this far.

"I might as well cut to the chase and give them a death worthy of their journey. It should be in front of the barrier," Asgore thought to himself, his features melting away into something unreadable, making Frisk tense up and her smile waver a bit, but she stayed determined to try and get through to him this way. Asgore admired her grit. He admired everything about her. But...

"You know what we must do," he finally spoke. Frisk didn't know his voice could go any lower than it already was. His voice was so low that it made her organs vibrate within her. He turned all the way away from her.

"When you are ready, come into the next room."

With that, he walked off, leaving Frisk to her thoughts. Her lips quivered as tears built up inside her eyes.

"Is there no way to save him?" she wondered. Balling her hands into fists, she wiped her tears and shook her head.

"No, there has to be a way to save him!" she told herself. She took deep, slow, even breaths until she finally calmed down and walked forward into the next room. Asgore was there, waiting for her to catch up. He smiled apologetically at her, knowing this was not easy for her as it was not easy for him.

"How tense," he said.

Her head didn't look up. She was facing the ground, trying to work out a plan to save him. To save everyone. He came closer and wrapped her in a comforting hug. Her tears caught in her throat as her hands lay at her side. He was far too big to hug back anyway.

"Just think of it like a trip to the dentist," he whispered into her ear, making her eyes widen.

He let go of her, a pained smile on his face as he walked forward.

" _It'll be over before you know it, I promise. You won't feel a thing,"_ thought Asgore.

Gripping her shirt where her heart was pounding, she walked forward. Asgore had stopped in front of a door. This time, without looking at her, he sighed before he began again.

"If you are not ready, I understand," he spoke softly.

Frisk finally looked up at him as her tears stained her sweater. She wanted him to change his mind, to say forget it and turn around, to have tea with him, to talk about her plans with him.

"I am not ready either."

He disappeared behind the door. That was when she knew he would not stop no matter what. He himself doesn't want to do this, but will do it anyway no matter the cost. Just like how she didn't want to meet him based on what Alphys told her, but continued on anyway no matter the cost. A dark chuckle escaped from the back of her throat. Undyne was right, her and Asgore really did have a lot in common. Deciding to see this through to the end proudly, or as proudly as she can, she held her head up high and pressed on. She shielded her eyes as the room, for a split moment, was engulfed with white. It was alternating between white, dark gray, gray, black, back to white. This process repeated itself.

"This is the barrier. This is what keeps us all trapped underground."

He decides to give her a chance to turn around and stay underground. He was hopeful now. Hopeful that he could save this child.

"If. If by chance you have unfinished business, please, do what you must."

Frisk knew what he was trying to do. But it's like Sans said. She didn't come all this way just to give up, just to throw in the towel. So, she shook her head and stayed put. Asgore inwardly sighed.

" _Don't you get what I tried to do for you? Why didn't you just go?_ " he thought sadly as he turned around, a painful expression painted on his face.

"Ready?" he asked. Frisk nodded determinedly.

On either side, containers came up from the floor, each one except for one with a floating human soul inside. Frisk was then pulled into battle. Twilight was shining through the barrier. Frisk's journey was finally coming to a close. She was filled with...DETERMINATION.

"Human..."

She perked her ears to listen carefully to whatever it was he wanted to say and was surprised when he looked up, smiling genuinely at her.

"It was nice to meet you," his face then turned sad again, "Goodbye."

Without warning, a helmet fell over his face, shielding his expressions from her as he yanked a large, red pitch fork out from under his robe and destroyed her mercy option, startling Frisk to no end.

" _There really is no going back now._ "

Watching while chewing on his nails on one hand, Franley noticed how much stronger Asgore's attacks are compared to Toriel's attacks. Of course, Toriel had been holding back. Frisk dodged, then tried talking to him. She dodged more until she realized talking won't get through to him. Noticing she was low on health, she took out the pie and ate it. Asgore recognized the smell and his attack and defense lowered.

"Oh man..." whispered Franley, his hand going up to his mouth.

He watched intently as Frisk alternated between dodging and striking, though her strikes held no malice behind them. But they held pure determination to get past him. She had turned off her feelings to just power through. After many strikes from both sides, Asgore grunted as he fell to one knee. Frisk noticed just how weak he was now. He had no intent of fighting anymore. Not when he knows what will happen if they continue. He doesn't want the war to continue anymore. He figures he'll try once more to save this child. But in a way that will cost him his life. Smiling and feeling self pity, he began.

"Ah. So that is how it is. Human, this war has gone on long enough. You have the power. Take my soul, and cross through the barrier," he said, sorrow in his voice.

Frisk lowered her fist and unraveled it. Her mercy option reappeared, though it was heavily cracked. She didn't care. She just wanted to give him a chance. Wiping her tears and smiling, she pressed mercy.

"You would rather stay down here and suffer, than live happily on the surface?" asked Asgore, his deep voice cracking from the intense emotion he was feeling. He finally looked up, smiling at her as the tears fell. The tears...they were from his happiness and gratitude.

"I promise you, for as long as you stay down here, my wife and I will take care of you to the best of our abilities. We can sit by the fire, telling stories, and eating butterscotch cinnamon pie. We can be like...like a family."

Hope shined in both their eyes, and just as Frisk began to run towards him to attempt to hug him, familiar white pellets surrounded around him, shocking them both. Before he could say anything the pellets closed in, breaking his body.

"NO!" screamed Frisk with her hand outstretched, reaching for him.

His soul was still there, shaking in place. She picked up the pace and ran for it but stopped when more pellets appeared...and broke his soul. Her hope and heart broke at the same time his soul shattered and scattered into a million pieces before her young, impressionable eyes. Franley lost it, and was crying along with his mother. He had never personally known the King and he was crying. To be fair, Frisk had only just met the King as well and even she felt like she had known him her whole life. Flowey's large face appeared in the darkness, going off about something that Frisk didn't quite hear. She was too busy crying her heart out. Too busy feeling like a failure. She just wanted Flowey to kill her so she could load and try again. But she blacked out. When her eyes fluttered open, she was in complete and utter darkness. This time, with no one around. Squinting, she saw something small, yellow, and twinkling in the distance. She ran towards it, and pressed it. Her menu appeared, but she couldn't do anything. Beginning to panic, she yelped and fell backwards as she watched in horror all her progress get erased. She silently reached out with a shaking hand, fighting back the tears and scream that threatened to escape. When Flowey appeared this time, she paid attention, no matter how his words made her blood curdle and her heart race uncontrollably. Franley couldn't believe what he was seeing either. After many many failed attempts, the souls Flowey took lost their determination to help Frisk, and her repetitive painful, scream induced deaths no longer amused Flowey. Deciding to give her a chance to redo things to make things more interesting for him, he brought her back to just after Asgore was killed. Frisk woke up in a cold sweat. Looking around, she wondered how she got back in front of the barrier. Just to make sure, she brought up her menu again and sighed in relief when she was the one in control again. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to reset, but she didn't want the King to be gone either.

"Either way, no matter what I do, I can't beat Flowey. Those human souls gave up," croaked Frisk, the emotion strong in her voice as she broke down in sobs.

The human souls were gone, Flowey was no where around, and Frisk felt useless. She ran back, back to the corridor where she accidentally bumped into Sans' chest. She looked up at him, the pain in her eyes spoke volumes so he didn't even have to ask what happened, but he wondered why she hadn't taken the soul and left.

"A flower name Flowey...killed him and detroyed his soul before I could take it. I tried to spare him. He was in the middle of telling me how he would father me. I was relieved! Flowey took it all away, and the souls he took...gave up on trying to help me," Frisk sobbed.

Sans dropped to his knees and held the shaking girl in his arms, his eyesockets closed as he shushed her comfortingly and rubbed circles on her back while his other hand stroked her hair. It felt like an eternity until his mother fell asleep in his dad's arms and he watched his dad carry her back to his house.

Franley opened his eyes, wondering what was shaking him.

"-id. Kid!" yelled Flowey.

"H-huh?" asked Franley, blinking to get used to the light.

Panicking, he looked at his phone. It was counting down the last hour.

"Flowey! I need you to do something!" Franley panicked.

Flowey shrunk back a bit and narrowed his eyes.

"Do something for you? No, I need you to keep surprising me!" demanded Flowey, "No one, besides Chara, has been able to entertain me! I need you!"

"I promise to keep surprising you if you do me a favor and kill me. I got a trick I wanna show you. No it's not loading," lied Franley.

While Flowey searched Franley's features for any hint of lying, Franley was busy controlling his breathing and heart rate as his phone was counting down the last five minutes.

"You promise to keep surprising me? To always entertain me?" softly asked Flowey.

Franley smiled and flashed a thumbs up. "I promise!"

Nodding his head, Flowey got a vine ready, and Franley put his hands behind his back to show he's not going to try and catch it this time.

One minute left.

"A-are you sure?" asked Flowey.

Franley could have sworn he heard actual concern in the flower's voice, but he was cautious to not show his surprise.

"Positive. I promise you'll find this extremely intriguing."

Franley closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to watch the vine coming at him at a blinding speed.

Five...

"Well, if you say so..."

Four...

Flowey steadied the vine, getting it ready to pierce right through the heart.

Three...

"Here it comes," whispered Flowey.

Two...

He shot the vine forward just as the timer hit one, and Franley was dead. Opening his eyes, he saw he was in a dark abyss, and he saw his options before him. Reset, load, or regenerate.

"That was a close call. But, I made it. Just like I promised everyone at home," sighed Franley.

Feeling accomplished, he pressed the load option, and felt his body be pulled back through time. Felt his skin regrow over his left half, felt himself lose control over his magic, felt himself get months younger.

"Franley! Wake up!"

Franley shot his eyes open, and choked back the lump that formed when he saw his dad right in front of him, shaking him with a worried expression on his face. Sighing in relief, Sans opened a shortcut.

"Come on, son. It isn't safe down here. At least not for me," winked Sans.

Nodding, Franley grabbed hold onto his dad's bony hand as they disappeared through the shortcut. Just when the portal closed, a vine shot out but missed. Flowey appeared then, staring at the empty space.

 _Sniff._

"Stupid liar. You promised," croaked Flowey.


	22. Adjusting In The Past

AMS

ADJUSTING IN THE PAST

Franley expected everyone except for his dad and uncle Chara to forget everything. But in a way, he felt lonely and frustrated that no one else remembered a thing. He knew that he should be grateful that they can't remember the pain and suffering; so why does he feel so depressed?

"Franley? You up, bucko?" softly called Sans from the other side of Franley's door.

Catching the ball of socks Franley made, he sat up in his bed and rubbed at his eyes.

"Yeah, come in," replied Franley, suppressing a yawn.

Sans came in carrying a tray of food, soft worry on his face for his only son.

"What's wrong dad?" asked Franley blandly.

Walking in the room more, Sans set the tray of food on Franley's lap and took a seat next to him, patting him on the back while clearing his throat.

"It's been a few days since we came back, and you haven't been yourself. I just wanted to make sure that you're fine and that if you ever need to talk about anything, you can talk to me," softly spoke Sans.

He didn't want Frisk to overhear them since she can't remember them leaving to go underground. She's been back to her normal old self, which made Franley and Sans feel relief. Franley frowned and looked up at his father before he looked towards his door in deep thought on whether or not he should talk about it.

 _I feel so lonely because I can't talk to anyone else about it, so why not tell him? He's the only one who can understand, besides Chara, but he's resting in peace right now._

He took a bite out of his grilled cheese and sighed.

"Well, for starters, I saw everything that happened to mom through memories," began Franley.

Sans' breath caught in his throat. He and Frisk never wanted Franley to ever know what she went through as a teen.

"Everything as a kid? Or as a teen?" asked Sans, his voice raspy from nerves.

"To put it bluntly, everything," replied Franley, his gaze not wavering from staring at his door while slowly eating his food.

"Oh son...you were never meant to see those things. I mean, years after I took Frisk in, she told me how she saw some memories of Chara, but I never thought you would see memories of Frisk. If I had known that, I would have never offered to take you down there," Sans said, his voice low and filled with regret.

"Dad..." Franley said, his voice straining to keep it together.

Sans' expression only turned more sad as he felt his heart tearing apart for his son.

"Don't regret anything. Up until now, I have taken everything and anything for granted. I needed that dose of reality in order to grow up," said Franley as he wiped at his glistening eyes.

"Heh...you're so strong. Just like your mother," muttered Sans, but Franley heard him and a small smile crept on his lips.

 _Should I tell him what I will look like when I get a firm grasp on my powers? Or should I wait and see his reaction? Would it be cruel and unusual to wait? Nah...I'll wait._

"Well, hurry and finish your breakfast. The end of the school year is today. Look presentable. Every teacher is taking class pictures for a slideshow that they will show today after school at seven PM," reminded Sans as he stood up to leave the room. Downstairs, Franley could hear the door open and close and then hear voices he hadn't heard in what felt like a very long time. He heard Jock, Undyne, Kent, Paul, Fuku, Brent, and Naomi. Suddenly he had forgotten all about his depression, scarfed down his food, changed clothes, and ran down the stairs.

"Guys! It's been so long!" Franley cried out, hugging everyone.

Everyone else looked so confused except for Sans. But Sans bit his tongue.

"What are you talking about dude? We all hung out a few days ago?" asked Kent.

"Yeah, you're acting like it's been years," Paul added, scratching his head.

Franley pulled away and started laughing awkwardly.

"Uh sorry. I had a vivid dream where it's been months since I last saw you all," lied Franley.

Shrugging, they took the bait.

"Franley, you're going to wear regular clothes today? You're the Prince! You should be going in a nice suit," suggested Naomi.

Franley looked down at what he was wearing and personally saw nothing wrong with what he was wearing, but decided it was best not to argue with adults on it so he trudged back upstairs to look in his closet for a suit. Naomi and Fuku had both bought him plenty of suits over the years just so he could wear something formal if he had to. Then, his ears picked up on a sweet, angelic voice like no other.

"Hello, ma'am and sir. Is Franley ready yet? I find it ironic how my first day at school is also my last day," chuckled Candy.

"He's upstairs getting ready. He should be down soon. You look lovely! Are you hungry?" asked Frisk.

"Oh no, Miss Mabel made sure I had a big breakfast. Thank you, though," shyly replied Candy.

Now Franley was motivated to make himself look like a million petals. He grabbed his dark blue suit and a crimson red tie as well as his crimson cuffs. He then slipped on his shiny black dress shoes, and slicked his hair back with a nicely scented hair gel that his mom had gotten for him from her mother. Eyeing his different colognes, he decided on his favorite: Midnight Mist. He dabbed some of it on his pulse points, grabbed his backpack, and took his time going down the stairs so he doesn't seem too eager.

"Oh my! Franley!" squealed Naomi approvingly.

Fuku and Brent crossed their arms and nodded while smiling brightly.

"Now THAT'S what you call a Prince," added Kent.

Candy couldn't tear her eyes away. For some reason, she felt as if he had somewhat grown a little taller than last time. She finally turned her head when she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. He was happy to see her, and then he remembered how frantic she had sounded on his phone when she first called him when he was underground. He shook his head.

 _She cannot remember any of that. Don't remind her of her loneliness and pain. Don't be selfish._

He reached out without thinking and grabbed her hand, her head snapping back to look at him. He looked at her with sorrow and pity, which made her angry.

"Does he somehow know what I've been through? No...I have never told anyone about anything. So then why is he looking at me like that? Does he just feel bad for me in general? Am I really that sad of a person?" she thought sourly as she yanked her hand away and scowled at him.

Franley was confused now.

"Why was she so upset with me just now? Does she somehow remember everything and blame me for being gone for so long?" Franley wondered.

"Alright kids. I want to get a picture of everyone together before you all leave for school," said Frisk as she searched for the camera on her phone.

When she got everyone together, she snapped a couple pictures before Sans took the phone so he could get some pictures with Frisk in it.

"Just one more year and then you'll be a Freshman,"wistfully sighed Frisk as she remembered her Freshman year with her three best friends.

Looking at the clock, Franley declared that they should all get going to school. It was a ten minute walk to the building, so they didn't have to worry about catching the school trolley that Alphys built with Mettaton EX's help. Kent and Paul being, well, Kent and Paul, they rushed on ahead while playfully picking on each other while Franley stayed by Candy's side.

"Hey, why are you so angry?" asked Franley.

"Why should I give you the satisfaction? Somehow, you think I'm someone to pity. Well let me tell you, bub, I'm doing just fine!" snapped Candy.

Franley grabbed her arm to stop her, but he was unknowingly too rough with his grip as Candy spun around, fear in her eyes as she decked him right between the eyes. He let go of her wrist to hold his head as she breathed heavily and rubbed her small wrist. Anger and resentment replacing her fear, she got right up in Franley's face and poked him hard in the chest.

"Don't you ever...touch me...again, or you will regret it," she warned through gritted teeth.

Franley put his hands up as he backed off, a red mark already forming on his face. Exhaling sharply through her nose, she turned on her heel and followed after Kent and Paul. Wondering what he did wrong, it suddenly came to his mind. When he first met her and how she had initially freaked out on him and his friends.

"I barely know you, so you don't deserve to know anything about me," she had said at the time.

He had been so busy with everything else, that he never had a chance to try and get to truly know her.

"Candy, I want to know more about you. Why do you keep pushing me away?" he whispered to no one as he studied his hands.

Clenching his hands into fists, he closed his eyes and breathed in and out...in and out...and in and out again. Opening his eyes, he felt determined to get to know her and her past. He now knew almost everything there is to know about abuse. But, he still has no idea about the type of abuse she has been through. Will he even be able to fathom it? Franley catches up to Candy and winces when he sees her visibly flinch from being near him.

"Candy...I-"

"Just get it over with," she snapped angrily.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you. That wasn't my intention, I was only trying to stop you so I could properly talk to you," apologized Franley.

"Yeah? Well, only time will tell if you're really sorry, as it will show your true colors," replied Candy.

"As long as you give me the chance to be your friend, I promise that even though I'm not perfect...I can be the best friend you've ever had," smiled Franley.

"Like I said, only time will tell. Franley, we were never friends yet. We were just acquaintances. Why would I allow myself to get so close to someone I barely know still? You should be cautious too. You barely know a thing about me," said Candy.

"Well, maybe we should change that, and just get to know each other," suggested Franley.

Candy sighed, noticing the school building coming into view.

"When and if the time comes where I can feel comfortable with sharing things about myself to you, I will tell you. But...just know I don't feel comfortable doing so just yet," sadly said Candy.

Franley, not wanting to push her away, bit his tongue and nodded. He didn't understand why she couldn't trust him yet, but he decided it was best to just let her have her way.

"Oi, if you all look over there, you will see a nasty human by the weird and awkward Prince of all monsters," shouted Jock Jr.

Franley clenched his jaw and lowered his gaze to the ground as he counted backwards in his head. Candy, not liking the bullying one bit, no matter what differences her and Franley just had, she stalked up to the monster who was apparently famous at the school.

"Ew! The nasty human is approaching," gagged Sandy as she pinched her nose.

Candy just rolled her eyes as she reached and pulled Jock Jr. down by his ear. He looked at her incredulously, but quickly fixed his expression.

"You will leave him and me alone. If you don't, I won't hesitate to put a stop to it. I will beat you up with my bare hands," Candy threatened, her voice so low that only he could hear her.

"I ain't afraid of you! I'm the buffest monster around these parts," laughed Jock Jr., his laughter cut short by a yelp of pain as Candy tugged harder on his ear as she glared daggers and evil promises into his eyes, engraving them into his brain.

Without a word from either of them, she quickly took her hand off his ear and victoriously walked back to Franley, who looked scared for him and her. Jock Jr. was about to say something about having a girl fight his battles for him, but her silent promise stopped him from doing so.

"Tch, whatever. What are we doing thinking about scum like them anyway?" Jock Jr. muttered to his group who all nodded in agreement and walked off into the building with their heads held high.

Candy smirked at them as they walked away.

"Uh Candy? I'm grateful you put a stop to their bullying, but at the same time...was that really necessary? I've been fine ignoring them for all these years after all. It's not like it was anything new," nervously said Franley.

Candy turned to look at him, her expression unreadable.

"Just be thankful I put a stop to it. They shouldn't pick on you anymore," Candy said, her voice also unreadable.

They took a few steps in before she abruptly stopped, causing him to stop as well.

"I will say this to you also," she began as she fiddled with her fingers behind her back, "If you ever feel like you can fight against injustice, don't hesitate. For if you hesitate to put your enemies in their place, they will never give up, seeing you as weak, useless, a doormat to constantly rub their dirt and grime on. That's all."

Franley furrowed his brows at her words. She didn't sound like your typical nine year old girl. She had sounded like a middle aged woman with wisdom under her belt. Because Franley knows that his experiences underground had made him somewhat more mature, he has an inkling that she must have gone through much worse things than his mother ever had since she was so wise and mature. But her words from earlier prevent him from trying to console her.

 _She will tell you when she's ready. Not when you're ready._

It was hard for Franley since he wanted to know everything about Candy, but he knows full well that he can't always have his way, even with all the powers he has.

"I wonder how she will react when half of my body becomes bone," he pondered.

He suddenly wished he could fast forward time just to see. He spent the day guiding Candy to each and every one of their classes. Frisk made it easy for Candy by signing her up for all of Franley's classes just so she can have an easy day adjusting to the school. In each class, the teacher had a camera on a tripod. The teacher would set the timer on the camera once the teach got everyone in a nice group all smiling as the teach would slip to the back of the class. The short teachers stood in the front of the class though so they could be seen.

"Uh, I don't recommend the mac n cheese. Its texture isn't all that great. Your best bet today is to get the ravioli and seasoned broccoli," advised Franley to Candy as they walked around the cafeteria, trays in their hands.

"Aw, but I like mac n cheese. What's the texture like?" pouted Candy.

"It's like...gritty and sand papery," Franley said, scrunching his nose in disgust.

"Oh, yuck! Okay. Ravioli and seasoned broccoli it is. Is the milk any good?" asked Candy as she placed the food on her tray.

"The white milk has a weird powdery taste to it. But the chocolate milk is doable. My grandmother was a great cook with her magic, and mom has kept her cookbook in the house. Once I get a better handle on my magic, I'm going to cook the school food and it'll actually taste good," explained Franley as he looked off in the distance with a wistful smile.

Candy couldn't help but smile at him when he got like that.

"Your grandma, Mabel?" asked Candy.

Franley looked at Candy, confusion in his face.

"Grandma Mabel can't use magic, silly. She's a human," chuckled Franley, "I'm talking about my mom's adopted mother, Toriel. She was the Queen of all monsters before my mom was. She had fire magic."

"Oh so that's how your mom became royalty. Makes sense now," nodded Candy.

Then she had a sudden thought.

"Does your mom have pictures of Toriel and her friends when they were all younger?" shyly asked Candy.

Franley, surprised, turned to her.

 _Maybe this means she wants to know more about you without saying so. Or maybe she wants to get to know your mom better. Wait...maybe she sees mom as a motherly figure for her? Where's her mom? Where's her dad? Why is she all alone in this world?_

"S-sure. I'll ask mom if she has some albums around so we can all look at them. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about the strawberry milk. It's only drinkable on Wednesdays, for reasons I'll never know," warned Franley.

Both laughed at that weird detail about the strawberry milk.

"Hmm, what is today?" Candy asked, tapping her chin in thought.

"Monday," answered Franley and laughed as she made a face.

"Well, don't you look nice today Prince Franley! Oh! Is this a friend of yours? You're the first human to ever enroll in this school," asked the nice monster at the cash register.

"Hello, Miss Gertul. She is someone I am very fond of, and this is her first day here," smiled Franley as he held her the petals to pay for both their trays.

"Oh really? What school did you go to before here, sweetie?" asked Gertul.

"Uhm...I never went to school before..." Candy replied, voice low, and head bowed in shame.

"Your parents never enrolled you in a human school?" Gertul asked, shocked.

"My parents were...ill," winced Candy.

"Oh I'm so sorry, dear. Here, take another chocolate milk. It's on me," winked Gertul.

"N-no. That wouldn't be fair. Please don't feel bad for me, I have a new family now and I am finally attending school. If anything, you should feel happy for me," replied Candy.

Gertul set it on her tray.

"I'm not giving you this to pity you, I'm giving you this to congratulate you for being so strong and determined," winked Gertul.

Candy looked down at the milk in shock then up at the nice monster who smiled brightly at her. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she wiped at her eyes and sniffed.

Unable to stop the smile forming on her face she replied, "Thank you!"

Candy hadn't considered that sometimes, people will do nice things for you because they want to. Not because they look down on you. Candy and Franley shared some jokes and laughs as they walked around, trying to find Kent and Paul.

"Hey, if Kent's eighteen, then why doesn't he attend a High School?" asked Candy.

"Well, the forest isn't big enough to have more than one school. So, this school has a total of twelve floors. Each floor representing a different grade. That's why we're on the seventh floor. But next year, we'll be taking the elevator up to the eighth floor. For some reason, they decided the cafeteria should be on the seventh floor," explained Franley.

They sat down at the table, and Candy started squirming in her seat, wondering if she should even ask what she's thinking.

"What's up?" asked Franley.

"I was just wondering...uh, you promise not to think I'm weird if I ask you this?" asked Candy, her eyes pleading.

"What could be weirder than me? Lay it on me," winked Franley.

"You're not weird," she said, startled, but then continued after Franley rolled his eyes and smiled, "What are we going to do for the whole Summer?"

"You know, regular kid things. We're gonna get you a bathing suit so you can go with us to the public pool and swim with us. Sure it gets crowded on really hot days, but if you don't mind the crowding it can be fun. There's also Park Red Soul with swing sets, a spinning thingy, and some other fun stuff. I almost forgot, the one place me and my buds always have fun in when the pool gets too crowded. MTT Arcade," listed off Franley.

Candy's eyes shone brightly at the sound of just being a kid and having fun. The whole thing sounded so alien to her. She was used to sweating like a pig as her father and mother beat her until she agreed to clean the whole house, including their rooms, everyday. It didn't help that no matter how many times she cleaned her family's rooms, they would get unbearably dirty all over again. Her family treated her like a mule every Summer while she watched her brother laze about in a blow up pool. She would be burning hot from working hard under the sun.

"Bro, can I please take a dip with you? I'm not sure how much longer I can last," she had asked.

Her brother would have moments of kindness towards her, though they were rare moments. Like, once or twice a month of kindness from him. He had looked around to see if the coast was clear.

"Yeah, for three minutes. If mom and dad see you in here, I'll tell them I let you in so you don't pass out on them," he would say during these rare moments of kindness.

Every other day, he would snarl at her and tell her to not be lazy or selfish. She relished the times where her brother was uncharacteristically sweet and kind to her. Even her parents had their moments, though, they were more rare than her brother's. Her father's moments of kindness would be once or twice every other month, whereas her mother's was once every five months.

"Daddy, can I please go to school? I wanna learn and make friends," she begged after a beating from her mother.

The first time he had looked at her without anger, gave her false hope.

"Do you know why we put you through hell and back? Yes, part of it is because we never wanted a daughter. But, the other part is no one else would love you at all. The sad truth is, you're unlovable. So, we're protecting you by keeping you here, where you can be unloved by your own family," he had said in a soft tone as he pet her wavy locks.

The tears would fall and she would bite her lip. Then, she would try to run into her dad for a hug, but he would hold her back and pat her shoulders until she let it all out.

"Daddy! Please, love me! I love you!" she begged as she sobbed.

"I know you love me. But, I'm sorry. I just don't love you. You'll thank me one day for at least being honest with you," he had said as he awkwardly pat her shoulders.

"Mommy? Why do you say I'm unlovable?" Candy would ask while eating a tiny bowl of cereal.

Her mother would sharply turn to face her, then calmly walk up to her.

"It's not that you're unlovable..." she would start off with.

"But?" Candy would ask, encouraging her mother to elaborate as her mother would scratch the back of her neck, thinking of a way to complete her thoughts.

"It's just...your father...isn't your real father. When I was in high school, after I had your brother with him," she would say, pointing in the direction of the man Candy had called her father for so long, "I cheated on him with another man. Your real father. I would love you, if you didn't remind me of the mistake I made. If you looked more like me, you would be loved in this household. So, it isn't your fault. But, it's your father's fault."

Candy would just stare at her reflection in the mirror, looking at her features, comparing herself to her mother's features. Someone would bang obnoxiously loud on the bathroom door, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Y-yes?" she would croak, holding back the tears.

"Hurry it up before I break down this door and make you rebuild it piece by piece!" the man would yell.

Her brows furrowed as she no longer felt any love for that man she once thought was her father. Smirking, she lined the toilet with super glue. Then, she hid the tube and washed her hands. Opening the door, the man would smack her aside roughly and slam the door. She only stared at the door with a facial expression that no one would be able to read. After hearing him yell out, she ran up to her room. She took off her outfit hurriedly, her brother then slamming her door open.

"What did you do to the toilet?!" he asked as he pushed her back into her drawer.

"Get out! I'm naked! Half brother!" she spat.

His eyes widened as he grabbed her throat.

"What did you call me?" he hissed.

"Pervert half brother!"

He only tightened his grip as she began to choke. Having enough of the abuse, she clenched her hand into a fist. So many years of doing mundane household chores, heavy lifting, and enduring strikes and blows, she had more muscle than most girls and young boys. She decked her brother in the eye, causing him to let go and stumble backwards. For the first time in her life, she felt power and in control. It was intoxicating. He tried to stand back up, but she was on him, punching him in the face and on the head over and over, taking sweet pleasure from the way he yelled out in pain each time. By the time he stopped moving, she had blood from his nose, mouth, and eyes on her fists. She quickly dragged him to her closet, placing his unmoving body in the closet. Before closing the closet, she placed two bloody fingers on his neck to check for a pulse. She was many things now, but she doesn't want to be a murderer. Sighing in relief as she felt a faint pulse, she closed her closet door and locked him in there.

"Candace? Where is your brother?" sternly asked her mother.

Candy turned to look at her mom, her face expressionless. The color in her mother's face drained as she noticed the blood on Candy's hands and wrists.

"What have you done? You...you...devil child!" shrieked her mom.

Candy didn't feel or say anything. She only opened her drawer, wiped her hands on one of her rags of a dress, and tossed it on the floor.

"I wouldn't test me if I were you. You fools made me do so many household and yard chores for all these years. I have more muscle than you do right now. I guarantee that if you touch me, you will end up like my half brother. Got it, whore?" emotionlessly warned Candy, causing her mom to drop her hand and grit her teeth.

Candy smirked as she slipped on a raggy dress. Candy knew that if she could make it to a town that had a phone, all she had to do was call her uncle for some money, and he would send it to her. She had only met her uncle once, and her only memory of him was him giving her piggy back rides and lots of smiles, hugs, and kisses. He is her "dad's" brother. Her mom backed away, silently fuming as her whole body shook as she watched her only daughter walk out the front door, her husband still yelling from the toilet.

"Candy? Caaaandyyy?" Franley asked as he waved a hand in front of her face.

Blinking a few times, she murmured an apology, stating she hadn't completely woken up yet.


	23. Flashbacks And Comfort

AMS

FLASHBACKS AND COMFORT

Mabel's pig, Waddles, finally kicked the bucket. Mabel fell into a deep depression, that she never wanted to leave her bed. Dipper called Frisk, telling her that Candy needs to move there with them for a while since Mabel now requires his attention twenty four seven.

"Oh my, okay. I understand. Please send her my love," Frisk murmured into the phone.

"Sorry, it's nothing against Candy. I can tell just by the way she holds herself that she's been through some neglect. Please let her know that this isn't her fault, and that she is still welcome to visit any time and that Mabel would love to see her. I just don't have the time to take care of her anymore and don't want to neglect her needs," apologized Dipper.

"No no don't worry. Besides, it'll give me and the others a chance to bond with her. She'll be more than happy here. Uh huh. Okay, love you too. Bye."

Candy had overheard the phone call from her room in Mabel's house. Her lids lowered in disappointment. She heard Dipper sigh in sadness. Then, she heard his footsteps on the stairs, and heard them stop in front of her door. For a solid minute, there was no other sound. She silently hoped he had changed his mind, that a miracle took place. This was the first family she ever got close to, and she didn't want to lose it. She flinched as she heard his knocking.

 _Maybe if I don't say anything and pretend I'm asleep, he'll go away._

He knocked again, louder this time, but not faster.

"Candace? Honey, we need to talk," he called.

Her bottom lip quivered as she held back the tears. She remembered the day her brother stormed into her room. She wondered if she stayed quiet, that he would do the same.

"Candy sweetheart. Please open up," he begged, his voice still calm and sorrow filled.

Sighing, she got up from the bed, and opened the door and quickly rushed back to her bed where she sat cross legged on top of it. Dipper shuffled in the room with a forced smile on his face as he grabbed her desk chair and sat down on it, folding his hands together in his lap as Candy eyed him suspiciously.

His sharp intake of breath snapped her eyes back up at him as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. In this moment, she could clearly see the wrinkles in his forehead and near his eyes as well as the lines near his mouth.

"Ever since Waddles died, may he rest in peace," he started as he looked Candy in the eye, "Mabel just isn't herself anymore. She is unable to take care of you, and she is unable to take care of herself now. She loves you, she really does, and I love you too, but, until she gets better, and I have no idea when that will be, it's in your best interest that you go live with Sans and Frisk for the time being. Just because you'll be moving out, doesn't mean we stopped loving or caring about you, or that you can never show your face around us again. You can come and visit whenever you want to. But, right now, we just can't take care of you. Do you understand?"

Candy did not understand. For so long, they had shown her love and kindness and best of all, patience. That was a rarity in her world. Everytime they were nice to her, she could laugh at her parents' backs, calling them out on their blatant lies. Because of them, she didn't feel completely worthless. Learning from her parents' mistakes in lying, she decided it would be better to answer him honestly.

"No, I don't understand. But, I will do as you say. I don't really have a choice anyway," Candy replied, sighing.

Dipper nodded.

"That's fair. You act so mature most of the time, that I forget you're only nine and have probably never been in this situation before. I hear you cry and mumble at night sometimes, and I wonder what a sweet, beautiful girl like you could have been through at such a young age. But I know it's none of my business. I want to let you know, however, that you can tell me and Mabel anything. If you can't tell anyone else, you can always tell us. You don't have to bear the burden alone," he reassured her softly, his gaze unwavering.

"You know, sometimes I wish you were my dad. My mother told me I was a result from a mistake she made by cheating on that man who I thought was my dad for so long. I left home in the hopes of finding my real dad, but he may not even be alive. Not to mention I have no idea where to look since my birth certificate has the same name as that man."

Dipper was shocked she revealed anything to him at all. That was a start, he told himself. He slowly reached out to hold her hand, she didn't object. Instead, she squeezed his hand tightly, just like how a baby squeezes their dad's finger.

"Family isn't whose blood you carry, sweetheart. If you want me to be your dad, I'll be your dad. I see how you look up to my niece, Frisk. She can be your mother if you so choose. You have the power to choose and build your own family," smiled Dipper.

Tears started to prick Candy's eyes but she blinked them back.

"I don't want to leave," she whispered and shuddered.

He opened his arms for her. She remembered how she had tried to hug her mom's husband, how he shoved her back and pat her shoulders roughly. But Dipper isn't him, she told herself. This is my new dad. He's part of my new family. He loves me. He cares about me. He won't do anything to intentionally hurt me. I can hug him, and he'll hug me back. All these thoughts swam in her head as she flew right into his arms and wrapped her small, muscular arms around his waist, and only then, did she let the tears fall. Only then, did she realize it was okay to let herself be vulnerable. She didn't have to put up her walls in front of him anymore. She could be the girl she was always meant to be. The girl who could smile. The girl who could laugh, love, and be loved.

"Franley, we have some good and bad news to tell you," Frisk said as Franley walked in the door after swimming at the public pool.

"Uh, can I get something to drink really quick? I'm dying of thirst," asked Franley.

Sans grabbed a tall glass and filled it to the brim with ice and water, then he set it on the table as Franley thanked his father and sat down, taking big gulps of the water immediately. Sans and Frisk sat down in their chairs near him.

"Grandma Mabel's best friend died, and because of that, her and Dipper can't look after and take care of Candy. So, Candy is coming to live with us. It might be temporarily, but it all depends on Grandma's recovery...if she recovers at all. So, she'll be staying with you in your room. Your bed is big enough for the two of you for now until we can find a bunk bed," explained Frisk.

Setting the glass down, Franley looked at his parents.

"How's Candy? Is she okay?" he asked.

"Well, we're not sure how she's feeling about all this. It might take her some time to get used to living here. It's a good thing Summer vacation just started. It'll really help give her time to just wind down and have fun like every other kid. Plus, here, she won't have to worry about household chores other than making sure she helps you keep the room clean and cleaning up after herself in the bathroom," replied Frisk.

He stared into his glass, thinking deeply about Candy and her recent interactions with him and his friends. He remembers the first day of Summer with her and his friends. They had taken her to the mall to shop for summer dresses and a couple bathing suits so she could have a variety.

"What's the point in wearing girly stuff like this?" she asked, utterly confused.

"Well, as a girl, you should want to take pride into your appearance. I often see you stare into mirrors and you look so...undecided on how to feel when you do see yourself. I think if you start wearing beautiful clothing, you'll start to feel better about yourself," he had answered as delicately as he could which he immediately regretted once her eyes had suddenly looked so far away.

She had felt so far away in that moment.

"C-Candy? I didn't mean it in a bad way or any-"

"No," she interrupted as she placed a palm to her head and closed her eyes, exhaling, "you're fine. Maybe you're right. Maybe it is time to...get a whole new style going."

After leaving the mall with several bags of dresses and other summer items in them, which Sans had shortcut to them to bring them to her home, they took her to Red Soul Park. Paul and Kent went on the spinning wheel and laughed like idiots while Franley took to the swing set. Candy held onto her arm as she looked around as if she was trying to decipher a new language. Franley had cocked his head at her.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to have fun?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Idiot!" she snapped, knocking the smile off his face, "Of course I wanna have fun! It's just..." her face then went from looking angry to shocked with herself for almost saying something crucial. She bit her bottom lip and turned her head away. Franley got up from the swing set and walked over to her, putting his hand gingerly on her back.

"Don't give me your pity! Just, show me what to do here," she had hissed.

Taking his hand off her, he smiled nervously and felt sweat form on his head. But it wasn't from the heat. He showed her how to use the swings, and she had went to town with that, laughing as the wind blew her hair back and forth. It was such a beautiful sight for Franley as he watched this sharp tongued, headstrong, muscular girl just let go and laugh. She was a lot different from Prisk, whom he suddenly remembered. He felt a little guilty, since Prisk had reacted so negatively to the thought of sharing him. He looked at Candy, and wondered if she would feel the same way Prisk had. Then he wondered if Candy would even get close to him at all, let alone fall in love with him.

 _Maybe she doesn't have to fall in love with you, just learn to trust you. She seems to care deeply for the monsters, and has a sense of equality and justice. Maybe when the time comes, she'll marry you just to achieve the equality the monsters clearly deserve._

He didn't want to break her out of her fun just to ask her something like future marriage. He had a feeling that wouldn't go over well with her at this early stage in their relationship. Deciding to just letting it go for now, he began to pump his own legs and smile as the fresh air whipped his hair back and forth. They swung until the sun had begun to set.

"Well, see ya tomorrow, right?" Franley asked.

Candy just looked at him, blushed slightly and punch him in the arm before running off home. He rubbed his arm that had then started to ache as he watched her go.

"Franley? What are you smiling about all of a sudden?" asked Frisk.

Blinking, he looked up at his parents who were watching him with small smiles of their own.

"Ah, just was thinking about how peaceful she had seemed these past few days. It's completely different from the way she usually is," replied Franley solemnly as he took another sip of his water.

Sans and Frisk just smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Well, make sure to give her reasons to keep smiling, huh?" said Sans as he chuckled.

"Heh, I'll try my hardest, but, I've learned that sometimes, there's just no winning with her," Franley sighed, shaking his head.

"Hm, she reminds me of someone I once knew," Sans smirked as he turned to look at Frisk, who was sipping her own water and cleared her throat, folded her hands, and turned to look at Sans with a professional aura.

"I don't know who this troublemaker was, but I would love to meet her," replied Frisk.

Sans snorted, making Frisk laugh as well. Franley had his head on the table as he banged his fist on the table in sheer enjoyable laughter at his mother and father's antics. A subtle knock on the door, stopped everyone in their tracks. Frisk cleared her throat as she went to stand up.

"I think that's her," she said.

"Oh man. I wanted to wait until they were done laughing before I knocked, but my arms are getting tired carrying all these things. I feel like such an as-" Candy's thoughts were interrupted by the click of the door being unlocked and opened to reveal Frisk's smiling face.

"Welcome, Candy! Come on in, come on in. Franley, please take her things upstairs," Frisk said calmly, turning to her son who nodded, got up from his chair and politely took Candy's things up to his room. Frisk placed her hand on Candy's back as she led her to sit down at the table.

"Are you thirsty dear? Hungry? Well, dinner will be done shortly. We're having baked fish, drenched in Italian dressing with a side of cauliflower. As for drinks, we have water, Cherry soda, and Kiwi juice. The power drinks are Papyrus'. If you want one, you'll have to ask him," offered Frisk.

"Uh, just water please. I'm not picky when it comes to food by the way. So, whatever you make, I promise not to give you a hard time about it," promised Candy.

Frisk smiled warmly as she filled a glass with ice and water.

"Well, before I make dinner from now on, I'll ask you what you're hungry for. How's that sound?" asked Frisk as she sat down and put her chin on top of her hands.

Sipping her water slowly, Candy shrugged her shoulders slowly before putting down the glass. Sans was watching her intently. Ever since he had heard Dipper say from the way she held herself that she had been through some things. He just hasn't paid enough attention before, but he could definitely tell by the way she is soft spoken and awkward in the presence of people she should be comfortable around by now. He wonders if she had been through what Frisk had been through, but immediately chucked that thought out the window in pure disgust. No. This was different from the way Frisk had acted when she was a teen. Frisk had banged her head against the wall, had burned her skin with showers, had worn baggy clothes for a while, and couldn't look any male in the eyes without furrowing her brows. Candy wasn't doing any of that. In fact, she was wearing a spaghetti strapped Summer dress no problem. Plus, she was looking straight at him, just with an unreadable expression on her face. He tapped his fingers together under the table in deep thought. What did she go through?

"Uh, sir?" Candy asked, worry on her face.

Sans blinked a few times.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked innocently.

"I'm sorry. I was just in deep thought," Sans apologized softly.

Figuring it was due to stress of being King of all monsters, she shrugged it off as she drank the rest of her water.

"So, I'm going to be sharing a room with Franley?" asked Candy, heat rising to her cheeks.

"Yes, we hope that's okay. There isn't any other rooms in this house, otherwise we would have given you your own room. Until we can get a bunk bed, you'll have to share Franley's bed. At least he isn't like most boys and actually keeps his room and bed clean," chuckled Frisk.

Even more heat ran up to Candy's face at the thought of sharing a bed with Franley.

"O-oh," she said, her voice cracking.

"Candy, would you rather sleep on the couch until we can get a bunk bed? It won't be a problem," Sans asked, his face etched with worry for this young girl.

"N-no, it's fine! I really don't mind," Candy replied, her voice barely audible at the end as she looked down into her lap.

That confirmed it for Sans. She was abused in a different way than Frisk was. He nodded.

"Okay. Well, if there's anything we can do to make you more comfortable while you stay here, don't hesitate or be afraid to ask," softly reassured Frisk.

"Totally. We're all here for you," Franley added as he walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Candy.

She looked at Franley, eyes wide, and her whole face red. Franley placed a hand on her forehead and his other hand on his.

"Are you okay? Do you have a heat stroke or something?" he asked her, concern evident in his voice.

She hurriedly smacked his hand away and scoffed.

"I'm fine," she huffed her bangs out of the way as she rolled her eyes away from him and focused on something else.

"You know, I would appreciate it if you were just a little bit nicer to me," said Franley as he folded his hands on the table. He started to sweat nervously, not knowing what to expect from her reaction.

"How am I being mean to you? I simply smack your hand away when you invade my personal space. I never gave you permission to touch me," she calmly replied, still looking away from him.

Franley suddenly thought about the club underground, and the memories he saw of his mother, and he felt like the scum of the Earth.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry," he apologized, his head lowering.

Candy turned her gaze back on him in shock. She hadn't expected him to apologize. But she smiled at him.

"I forgive you," she said.

"Well, why don't you two go up to your room to hang out while Frisk and I set the table for dinner? We'll call you down when it's ready," suggested Sans as he cleared his throat and stood up with Frisk.

Candy nodded, taking her glass to the sink and washing it out for them.

"Do you want me to clean the rest of these dishes?" Candy asked in a small voice.

Frisk waved it off.

"Nah, don't worry about doing that. Those are dishes from Alphys' and the other's rooms anyway. One of them will take care of it. All I want you to do is relax and keep the room clean and pick up after yourself around the house," smiled Frisk.

"Oh, really? I had gotten so used to doing chores. It's all I ever did. All my life. With no one to help me," she mumbled the last part, but Sans heard it.

"What kind of chores?" he gruffly asked.

Franley was near the kitchen entrance, listening to them.

"You know," she said, looking at her fingers, "normal everyday things."

Sans put his hands on his hips.

"Care to give an example of these normal things?" he asked.

To Sans' surprise she got defensive as her gaze shot up at him. Her whole face screamed "let it go". He only challenged her back with his own hard stare, which seemed to say "if you want people to help you, you have to open up". She balled her hands into fists at her sides as images flashed before her eyes of her family kicking her while she was trying to sweep the hard wood floors until she fell and got splinters in her palms. Images of her brother choking her until she agreed to do his raunchy smelling laundry. Images of- she shook her head violently and grabbed her hair, pulling at it as she stumbled back, forcing back the tears. Sans' dropped his hard stare, and reached out for her, afraid she might do something to hurt herself.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" she screamed.

Her eyes snapped open, and she stared at the tall skeleton monster. He didn't look mad, he didn't look disgusted. He looked so sad. He's pitying me. I just know it! He feels sorry for me! How dare he? I'm fine! I'm strong! I freed myself from that hell! She ran straight past him and up to the stairs, stopping shortly to turn and see Franley had been eavesdropping. He looked scared of her. Great. Now he thinks I'm an unlovable monster too. Snarling in disgust, she ran up the stairs and into the room, slamming it shut behind her. Frowning, Franley went into the kitchen where he saw his mother stiffly finishing up making dinner, and his father whose shoulders were slumped.

"Mom? Dad? Are you guys okay? Why'd she freak out like that?" Franley asked.

"We're fine, son," Sans began as he straightened back up, but didn't turn to face his son. He felt too ashamed of himself.

"But, she's obviously hurting. From what, we still have no idea," quietly continued Sans, rubbing his face with a hand tiredly.

"Yeah. I know," sighed Franley.

Sans perked back up.

"You know?" he asked.

"Not the details yet, but I know she has been through something traumatic for her to constantly act this way," explained Franley.

"To answer your other question, she began freaking out when I gave her a fatherly glare. The one I usually give you to goad you into spilling the beans about whatever it is you're hiding. She didn't take to that too well," said Sans.

A chuckle came from Franley, though there wasn't any humor in that.

"I should have warned you not to do something like that. She has made it clear to me that if she wants anyone to know her story, that she will tell it if and when she feels she is comfortable to do so," explained Franley.

Candy was sitting on the staircase, listening to Franley talk to his dad as she wiped her tears before they could fall on her new dress. She had never had such nice clothes before. All she ever had were rags. She didn't want any of her bodily fluids to get on them.

"I just wish she would tell us so we can properly help her. The more you hold onto something, the more you will hurt," said Sans.

"Yeah, well, she thinks she's safe if she holds onto her secrets. We just have to give her space and allow her to adjust," Franley replied.

"Franley, dinner's ready. Why don't you go get Candy and everyone else?" Frisk asked after clearing her throat.

Eyes bulging out of her head, Candy ran back into the room and silently shut the door behind her. What she had gotten upset at Franley for, she had just done the same thing she realized as she shook her head at herself.

"Such a hypocrite," she sniffed.

A gentle knock, much like Dipper's, sounded on the door.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to mask the fact that she had cried from her voice. But Franley could tell.

"Dinner's ready. Come down whenever you want to. If you're not ready yet, we'll save you a plate for later," said Franley.

He noticed that whenever he had a gentle and soft tone with her in the past, she would take it the wrong way. So this time, he kept his tone neutral. She opened the door much to his surprise. Franley smiled at her. Not warmly. Just smiled, so she wouldn't feel the need to get defensive.

"You coming after all, huh?" he asked.

Candy rubbed her eye and nodded, a small smile forming on her lips as Franley led her downstairs to the kitchen to eat with everyone else.


	24. Getting To Know Her

AMS

GETTING TO KNOW HER

After Franley got Candy to come downstairs to eat dinner with everyone else, Frisk sat a plate down in front of her. Candy sheepishly looked up at Frisk, guilt on her face for freaking out.

 _You know you got it good here. You know Frisk and Sans won't hurt you on purpose. So...why do you insist on making their lives a living hell?_

These kinds of thoughts plagued her mind throughout most of dinner time, until Papyrus spoke up.

"Hey Candy," Papyrus said, making Candy's head shoot up to listen.

"You ain't gotta worry about earlier. Frisk and Sans are good people. Not only have they already forgave you, but they will never hold anything over your head. On that note," he paused, taking a bite from his plate, "the rest of us expect you to behave like you did for Mabel and Dipper. Frisk and Sans deserve that much respect and more."

Candy wanted to scoff at him and tell him he doesn't know who she is, but bit her tongue for fear of getting on anyone's bad side. She still doesn't know what monsters are truly capable of, therefore she doesn't want to push her luck. So far, she isn't homeless, she has brand new clothes, and whether she admits it to herself or not, a family. Franley has learned by now to deal with her using tough love to an extent. Most of the time she responds well if you give her a choice and act like you don't care one way or the other. But should she ever be in trouble, even if she fights him the whole way, he will do all that he can to protect her. Even if she punches him, slaps him, or spits on him. He will get through to her with love.

"So Candy," started Alphys.

"Yes?" she asked after swallowing a bite.

"What school did you used to go to? I only ask because it's kind of odd a nine year old is in the same grade as a soon to be thirteen year old. Wait, don't tell me. You're some kind of genius who skipped grades, right?" Alphys asked excitedly.

She accidentally dropped her fork as it hit the plate.

"Um...actually... this is the first school I've ever been to," she replied quietly.

Franley remembers when she told the monster lady in the school cafeteria. Frisk looked up, her brows furrowing. Sans was also staring at Candy now, but with concern on his face.

"Didn't your parents ever enroll you in a school?" asked Frisk.

"Perhaps her parents were dirt poor and couldn't afford it?" suggested Undyne.

Candy shook her head.

"They could have afforded it since my older brother got to go to school," bitterly answered Candy.

Sans clenched his hands into fists under the table.

 _She has never been to school, but her parents allowed for her brother to go?_

Sans kept quiet, for fear of bringing on a repeat of what happened earlier. But Alphys wasn't afraid.

"Why would your parents let your brother go to school but not you?" asked Alphys.

"MAYBE!" Undyne interrupted as she stood up, "I don't know," she sighed, sitting back down and stuffing her face.

"I really don't want to talk about it," sternly said Candy.

Everyone around the table, except for Alphys, was getting nervous.

"Okay, that's fine," shrugged Alphys, smirking. "Say, after we're done eating dinner, would you be so kind as to test one of my newer inventions? I promise it's completely harmless. I just want to make sure it serves its purpose."

Since Candy was relieved that Alphys had agreed to drop the sensitive subject, she was in a good mood now.

"Sure. What's the invention supposed to do?" asked Candy.

"It's supposed to allow someone to see their dreams clearly, without distortion that dreams usually have so that it looks just like a movie," lied Alphys.

"Will I be the only one who can see it?" asked Candy, voice sounding nervous but only slightly.

"Of course. You put on the device, and you tell me if it works or not," lied Alphys.

Frisk knew Alphys was lying, and she caught on to what he was truly planning on doing.

"We've all been dying to see what it looks like. Mind if we tag along to watch it be put to use?" asked Frisk calmly.

"That won't be a problem. I have kept it a secret for quite a while," smoothly said Alphys.

"Then after dinner, let us all go with Alphys," agreed Sans.

"Then, am I still needed to test it?" asked Candy. She wanted to go for a walk since once the sun set, it was mild.

"Oh come now. It'll be fun for you to get involved with the family. Get in some bonding time," said Alphys, smiling warmly.

Everytime someone smiled warmly at Candy, she would immediately distrust that person. But, for some reason that she cannot understand, she feels the intended warmth radiating from Alphys' smile and all she could do was gape and nod in silent agreement. He quietly applauded himself, for his invention: the mind control eye contact. It's a clear contact you put on your eye, and when you stare at someone, you can control their mind. He was initially going to mind control Sans to make him do a funny dance, but decided this would be more productive in getting to know Candy whether she wants them to or not.

 _Is this wrong? To trick a child into sharing her past without her consent? Normally, it would be considered wrong and invasive...but how else are we supposed to help her?_ Sans thought to himself.

After everyone finished eating, Frisk collected all the dishes and simply stacked them in the sink. Then, Alphys motioned for everyone to follow him down to his lab. Candy looked around the lab. A small part of it grew different colored flowers.

"What are those for?" Candy asked.

"Those are for our currency around here," explained Alphys.

Candy remembered the first day she met Franley and he had asked her if shops in Gravity Falls accepted flower petals.

"Oh so that's why you asked me that weird question when we first met in Gravity Falls," smiled Candy.

Franley smiled back and nodded.

"Yep. Now you know why."

"Yeah I thought it was weird that you gave petals to the cafe lady to pay for the lunches. I assumed lunch was free for you anyway since you're the Prince and that you were just trying to be quirky," laughed Candy.

"Ah, no. Just because I'm royalty, I still have to abide by the laws set in place by my parents," said Franley.

Candy realized that that's probably why no one takes him seriously. He's always in the mix with other monsters his age instead of going to a special school or something, and nothing is just handed to him. While she understands that that should make the other monsters give him respect, like the adults do, she also understands how that makes him appear to be like everyone else despite his title. She was determined to make the others respect him.

"Here it is. Just sit down there, and I'll attach the head piece to you. Now, in order for it to work, you'll have to be asleep. Here, drink this. It'll make you fall into a deep sleep," offered Alphys.

He had the screen part hidden so that Candy wouldn't be able to put the puzzle pieces together. She had sat down in the comfortable chair and drank the liquid while Alphys connected the head piece. Shortly after she had finished drinking the liquid, her eyes got heavy and she closed them. Alphys then took out the screen part for all to watch. The first thing they all saw was a four year old Candy sleeping in dirty rags, which made everyone's eyebrows furrow in concern. Her whole room looked clean itself. Not a speck to be found. But Candy's whole body was a different story. Her hair was greasy, and her skin looked grimy with the dirt particles. Her bedroom door slammed open, and a heavy set man stormed in, grumbling. He picked Candy up and shook her hard.

"Wake up brat! Wake up!" he shouted as her head flailed back and forth.

Frisk's hand flew up to her mouth as her eyes widened at this harshness while Sans' clenched his jaw, and Franley stared at the screen with his hands clenched in fists. Candy was small now, but the four year old Candy was even smaller and more delicate looking. Alphys had his arms crossed and kept his gaze neutral so he could be sure to remember all the facts. He knows for a fact that extreme emotion can cloud his memory and warp what he had seen, so he constantly did slow, even breaths in and out quietly.

Four year old Candy's eyes snapped open and the man harshly threw her back down on the bed. Frisk's eye twitched, wondering where this was going.

"Father? What's wrong?" asked Candy as she looked up at him fearfully.

"Get your lazy ass up and eat your mother's cooking. Now!" he yelled.

She got up and hastily made her way down the stairs, knowing that procrastinating resulted in a beating. She made it downstairs and sat at the table.

"Hopefully her mother was nicer," silently hoped Frisk.

She felt her stomach turn as she saw the woman slam a bowl of gray mush in front of Candy. It wasn't even enough to fill anyone up. Candy looked around the table, noticing everyone else eating pancakes with syrup, and had a glass a kiwi juice.

"Mommy?" Candy asked in a small, shy voice.

Franley and the others winced. They were so used by now to seeing Candy with a strong, stubborn expression with a strong, stubborn voice.

Her mother glared up at her, tapping her fingers on the table.

"What?" she growled.

Candy shrunk back a little and looked down.

"May I please have some kiwi juice too? I'm awfully thirsty," she asked.

Her mother slowly got up from the table, stalked over to the fridge, pulled out the carton of juice, stalked back over to the table, and hit Candy upside the head with the carton, hard. Everyone in the lab gasped in shock as Candy fell out of her chair and hit the floor, holding her head.

"Is your thirst gone?!" yelled her mother.

Candy sniffed and nodded, even though her throat was dry.

"Mom. At least give her some water. She can't be of use if she dies of thirst," said her brother.

This wasn't his rare moments of kindness. This was him saying "you can't use her if she's dead". The other monsters understood his intentions with the words he chose. His mother sighed and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"You are so smart, young man. You're right. She wouldn't be of any use to us if we neglect her needs," the mother said as she smiled at her son.

Candy crawled back in her seat, and began to shove the muck in her mouth. She held back the gag sounds and the tears that threatened to spill from the nasty taste.

"W-what's in this?" she dared ask.

"vegetables and meat," grunted her father.

"Why can't I have what you guys are having?" she asked curiously.

Her father glared at her and she shrunk back, afraid of being struck.

"Because you don't deserve what we get. We never even wanted you anyway. We're only keeping you around to take care of the house and yard. Be grateful for that," he harshly responded.

"Yes, daddy," she sadly replied.

"This is awful! Why would anyone treat her like that?!" yelled Frisk.

Sans squeezed her hand and shook his head. There was no need to have a shout out since everything they're seeing happened in the past. Franley was squeezing his arms as he gritted his teeth in seething anger. Undyne had a disgusted look on her face while Papyrus looked at it the same way Alphys was.

Once Candy had finished eating the food and drinking the warm water, her mother handed her an all purpose cleaner and a rag.

"Go clean our room, then your brother's. Once you're finished with that, come see me for a new rag, and clean the bathroom. After, come see me again for a new rag, and clean the living room. Once you're done with all those rooms, clean the kitchen, and then change into your yard clothes and pull the weeds, feed the animals, and mow the grass," instructed her mother, her tone soft.

"Mommy?" Candy started.

Her mother looked at her with furrowed brows. "What is it now?"

"I...I love you," Candy said.

The whole room melted. But Candy's mother's gaze hardened.

"I know you love me. Now go clean," she hissed back and relished the sight of Candy's heart breaking.

Her brother in the background laughed his head off. The dream then played out as a montage as it showed Candy cleaning the house and tending the yard while it showed her growing for two years. Then the montage stopped at the age of six.

"Daddy!" Candy called. The monster's looked at her with stunned silence. For a six year old girl, she had some muscle on her arms and legs. Though she was still wearing rags, her hair wasn't greasy. They figured she must have taught herself how to wash her hair. They wondered when she had the time to do such a thing with how rigorous her schedule was in that household.

"What?!" shouted her dad from his rocking chair in the living room.

She walked up towards him, a huge smile on her face. She was excited to ask this question.

"I'm finally six, daddy. Does that mean I'll be going to school soon?" she asked, crossing her fingers behind her back.

That's when the monster's broke inside for her. She was clearly counting on being able to go to school so she could escape from her hell, even for just a little bit. Her father laughed in her face.

"If we, your own family, hate your guts...then what makes you think your teachers and peers would put up with you? We're not going to waste our time sending you somewhere when we know you won't make it," chuckled the man.

Candy's smile fell. But she wasn't done yet.

"But dad...it would mean you and mom would get a break from me every day, even for just a little while. You and mom could actually be more happy that way," she tried.

"Like I said...we're not gonna waste our time when we know you won't make it," repeated her father, irritation in his voice.

"But-"

"That's enough out of you!" he yelled, standing up.

"NO!" she yelled back, causing her dad's eyes to widen in shock. When Candy realized what she had done, she covered her mouth and shook her head, silently pleading. _SMACK!_

Candy fell onto the floor from the brute force of her father slapping her across the face. A large, red mark already started forming on her face. No tears fell though. The monsters now got a good look at her arms and legs. There were bruises and cuts all over them. Some looked self inflicted. Her father wasn't done with her yet. He picked her up with one hand, holding her in the air as he used his other hand to slap her across her face over and over until she started bleeding from her nose and mouth. Franley held onto his stomach, trying not to get sick. Frisk had tears rolling down her eyes from the sight of Candy's abuse. Sans was also in tears for her. Undyne's whole body shook.

The man dropped Candy to the floor where she was about to pass out, but then her mother poured a bucket of ice cold water on her, waking her back up.

"Oh no! You're not gonna fall asleep that easy! You still have your chores to do!" scolded her mother. "And now you've got this puddle to mop up."

Candy shakily stood up, her face swollen, and silently began her chores. Once a day, Candy would ask one of her parents to enroll her in school. Every time, they refused her, and beat her to a pulp and then throwing ice cold water over her. Her face and whole body grew used to the physical abuse she endured every day. From age seven to nine, they saw Candy in a walk in closet during midnight, lifting her brother's unused weights. By the time she was nine years old in her dream, she was ripped, just like she is now.

"It's just, your father isn't your father. I cheated on him. We blame you for what your real father made me do," said her mother.

Candy ran into the bathroom, and studied her reflection in the mirror for a long time. Loud knocking from her father was sounded, which she responded to. Then she super glued the toilet seat, hid the tube, and washed her hands.

"I have a bad feeling about this," whispered Sans while Frisk clawed at her hair in nervousness.

Candy had no emotion on her face now, which unnerved everyone a great deal, though Alphys and Papyrus didn't show it. She opened the bathroom door and was shoved aside by the man as he then slammed the door. She just stood there, staring at the door for a while, until he yelled. Still not showing any emotion, she ran up to her room and began undressing to find a cleaner rag to wear. Her brother kicked open her door while she was in the nude.

"What did you do to dad?!" he yelled as he pushed her back on her bed.

"Get out! Half brother!" Candy spat, anger showing on her face.

Everyone in the room was stiff as they were afraid to see what comes next. Her brother grabbed her throat and lifted her against the wall.

"What did you just call me?" he asked, inches away from her face while his own features were twisted in anger, confusion, and shock.

Candy spat in his eye, but his grip only tightened.

"Pervert half brother!" she choked out as she clawed at his hands.

Before she could pass out, he released her. He gave her time to catch her breath before balling his hand into a fist. But she was quicker as she leapt on him like an animal and began punching in his face over and over, even after her hands and wrists were covered in his blood. No one could look away, as the scene unfolding was unbelievable and sickening all at once. Breathing heavily, Candy stopped punching him, and pressed two bloody fingers on his neck to feel for a pulse. She sighed when she felt a faint heart beat, and locked him up in her closet.

"What did you do?! You...you...devil child!" shrieked her mother.

"Don't test me, whore," Candy threatened, her unsettling gaze falling on her mother.

She got dressed in a cleaner rag and pushed past her mother, as her mother stared at the bloodied rag on the floor. Candy rushed out the front door with the man yelling in the background as she ran out the door, away from the house, and didn't stop running until it showed her pass out just barely inside the barrier of the monsters' forest. The dream ended there, and everyone just took a moment of silence to take everything they heard and saw in. Not in a million years could any of them have guessed that what Candy had been through was so hellish. So cruel and unusual. All of them had wanted to know her story...now they all wish they could unlearn it. Unsee everything. Alphys took the head piece off Candy's head. She was drenched in cold sweat and her brows were furrowed. The device turning dreams into a movie was only half the truth. The machine turns memories into a movie, which allows anyone who wants to help a trauma patient get the full details. Before she could wake up, Alphys sprinkled some amnesia powder on her, making her forget the amount of time the machine was strapped to her head.

"Someone carry her to the couch. When she wakes up there, tell her she fell asleep watching TV," advised Alphys.

Sans took Candy and placed her on the couch, then walked back down to Alphys' lab.

"Well, now that we know everything, what do we do with this information?" calmly asked Alphys.

"H-how can you be so calm? After seeing all of that?" Frisk asked, choking back the tears.

"Because allowing myself to get upset will solve nothing, and it will jog Candy's memory of being strapped to the machine. The amnesia powder is only in its prototype phase after all. If we allow ourselves to get overly upset over seeing her past, we will only remind her and she will not want to trust us and possibly run away," explained Alphys.

Frisk nodded and steeled her nerves, as did Sans and Undyne.

"Well, what _can_ we do? We can't outwardly tell her we're there for her without her getting suspicious. For someone who has never been to school before, she is sharp and catches on the smallest details," said Franley, worry still etched on his face.

"That's true. We might have showed ourselves her past for nothing since, knowing she didn't want any of us to know yet, we can't really do anything. Sure, I could work on inventions non stop for her and her situation, but my inventions don't truly change people, but my inventions trick a response from them to push them into a direction where we want them to go. But, it's still up to them and fate on whether or not they stay on that path," explained Alphys.

Frisk nodded, remembering using one of Alphys' inventions to push Papyrus and Alphys on a good path. It had been in the cards for them that they got better.

Later, in Franley and Candy's room...

Candy sat on the bed while Franley sat on the floor as they played video games in his room.

"Man, you kinda suck at this," said Franley, smirking.

"Oh I'll get better eventually, and when I do, you'll be the one who sucks," smirked Candy as her character collided into a wall and her side of the screen said "dead".

Huffing, she sat the controller down.

"What other games do you have?" she asked.

He looked through his cabinet filled to the brim with games. Most of them had violence in them, which made him worry about her. He grabbed the one game that Kent had described as "gory" even though it was nothing but dust instead of blood.

"This game always gives me a good laugh. Plus, we're not competing against each other in this one. We have to work together to get through the apocalypse," explained Franley as he showed her the case to get her approval before just putting the game in.

She looked over the pictures and read the description and smiled.

"Looks good. Put it in," Candy stated, handing the case back over to Franley.

He put the game in and they played until it was one in the morning. Franley yawned and turned off the light.

"Can't you just sleep on the floor or couch or something?" she asked, pouting.

"Well, my bed is big enough for the two of us. Besides, my uncle Papyrus sleeps on the couch around this time since he always goes down at midnight to catch Mettaton's midnight show, and my floor is too hard to sleep on. So scootch over please," said Franley.

Candy sighed and rolled over as Franley got in and pulled the blanket up over them and faced away from her so he doesn't end up creeping her out.

"Good night, Candy," he yawned.

"Good night," she mumbled as she laid facing towards him.

She spent three hours staring at him suspiciously until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.


	25. Awkward Reunion

AMS

AWKWARD REUNION

A month has passed, and it's now July, the hottest month of the Summer. Candy is now comfortable around Franley, his mom, and the monsters in the household. She still struggles to act normal around other monsters since she doesn't live with them or know them as well, but slowly, she's getting better and she is beginning to love herself as she now sees others are capable of loving her. Her, Franley, Kent, and Paul are at Red Soul Park, laying down on the grass underneath a willow tree, chatting away.

"Candy, we heard a brand new video game is coming out next week. It's a little girly, so we thought you might like it," Paul said, wiping the magic sweat off his forehead.

Monsters don't have to sweat, but they like making it since it's fun to pretend.

"Oh yeah? I'm not much of a girly girl, but if it sounds and ends up looking cool, I might check it out," answered Candy as she tried to swallow spit, but there was none. She hoisted herself up on an elbow and poked Franley's cheek. He opened one eye and looked at her before smirking. She looked so beautiful in his eyes. Her long, dark hair stuck to her face, shoulders, and back, and her glistening skin looked so angelic with the way the sunlight radiated off her.

"Yes?" he asked softly.

"Hehe. Do you have any more bottles of water on you?" sheepishly asked Candy.

"Just two left. One for me, and one for you," answered Franley who closed his eyes again. He lifted up the bag and brought it to her so she could rummage through and grab a bottle of water. They were larger than your usual bottle of water in length and width. She was surprised with how cold it was.

"How is it still so cold?" she asked incredulously.

"Several ice packs are in the bag, silly," yawned Franley.

"Man, humans sure are weird. They're so much stronger than monsters but at the same time, their bodies are so fragile and needy," laughed Kent.

"You're just jealous you're made of fire instead of water," teased Candy.

"Ooooh burn! Pun intended," laughed Franley.

"Man, you really are your father's son," grinned Paul.

Franley shrugged. "What can I say? My dad and I are extremely punny. But I guess today I'm on fire."

Candy and the others laughed, and then Candy had an idea, a smirk running across her face.

"Can I tell you all about this crazy dream I had?" asked Candy who then took another sip of water before putting it back in the bag to help it stay cool.

"Sure, I'm down."

"Lay it on us!"

"Got my attention."

She almost burst out laughing before saying anything. _That would have been embarrassing._

"Well, I had a dream last night that I was swimming in soda. I guess it's what you could call a Fanta sea," Candy said, doing her best to hold back the laughter.

The boys smiled and smacked their foreheads while Candy grinned so huge, she was sure her face would fall off.

"C'mere you!" said Franley as he tackled her. But because of her amazing strength, she was able to pin him.

"Ha! Got you!" she chuckled as she pinned his arms down. His face went from surprised to cocky, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"Did you really get me?" he asked.

"Uuhh, yeah?" she replied before smiling again.

He closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, both eyes were glowing blue. She looked down as she could see her soul be turned blue. Franley lifted her off him with ease because of his magic.

"Hey! No fair! You have magic and I don't!" cried Candy.

Slowly moving her around through the air he chuckled light heartedly.

"Since when did I say I would ever be fair?" he asked.

Candy just pouted and stuck her tongue out at him, but quickly put it back in her mouth as Franley brought her just inches away from his face. She could swear that with the way he was smirking, he looked just like a human version of Sans.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you act like that," he said, making the blood rush to her face.

She tried to play it off.

"Like what?" she huffed.

"Like a mischievous little girl," replied Franley.

He sat her down and released his magic hold on her. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress when she noticed something.

"Hey, you're not having a hard time breathing!" she pointed out.

"Huh. I guess that means I'm finally getting a better hold of my powers," shrugged Franley.

This wasn't new to him. He had been through it all before, but no one remembers except for him and his father.

"Hey Candy? Can I ask you something important? You two guys?" asked Franley.

Kent and Paul wiped the smiles off their faces to show Franley that they're ready to listen, Candy doing the same as she sat next to them.

"Uh...well, you all know I have the power to save, load, and reset," began Franley, eliciting nods from his friends. "Well... I had mastered my powers to their full extent one time. It took months, but before my thirteenth birthday."

Candy and the guys' eyes widened with surprise.

"Really?! Then, why did you load back?" asked Kent.

"Yeah. If you really mastered your powers, why bring it back all the way before those months?" asked Candy.

"Because I mastered my powers underground. My dad wanted to give me a tour of the place my mom and him grew up in, but upon arriving, an evil being snuck up on my dad and killed him. He didn't kill me because he mistook me for my uncle, Chara. I wanted to know everything I could about where my parents and friends came from so bad, that I chanced staying there for a long time just to learn. I figured, why not since I can load and the only ones who will remember that time passed would be me? But then, as I continued, I found out through a memory of my mother that loading while being a teenager can permanently alter things in the timeline," Franley paused, allowing his friends to take in everything so far.

They nodded, gesturing for him to continue. Franley took a deep breath before continuing.

"Well, before I learned that, I had learned that time passes more quickly underground than it does on the surface. A minute down there is an hour up here."

"Whoa," they murmured.

"Right. For some reason, my phone started to display the amount of time I had left to return before it was too late. Guys, I ended up making some friends, and I promised them all that I would find a way to save them. There are still monsters down there simply because they're afraid of humanity. None of them remember me, but I already knew that they'd forget," paused Franley before getting back on track.

"A-anyway, when I finally mastered my powers, my whole left half of my body...looked just like how my dad looks. Not only was I half human and half monster on the inside anymore, but it also showed on the outside. It's going to happen again when I re master my powers. When it does, will you all still accept me as your friend?" asked Franley.

Before starting this conversation, he had made sure to save without them noticing. Candy tried picturing Franley as a half skeleton monster, seemingly not hearing the last part. Kent and Paul were imagining it too. All of a sudden, Candy, Kent and Paul shot upwards.

"That would look so cool!" they all shouted.

"So I take that as a yes then?" nervously chuckled Franley.

"Duh! Even if it doesn't look cool, we'll be your friends no matter what," said Candy as she punched his arm.

"Candy?"

Suddenly, all the blood drained from her face and she took a step backwards. Franley and the boys turned to look at who called her name. Kent and Paul were shocked simply because it was a human. Franley was shocked because he recognizes who it is. Mentally cursing at himself, he knows he has to act like he doesn't know who it is.

"Candy? Who is that human boy?" asked Franley in a hushed voice.

"M-my brother," answered Candy, her voice low and angry. She wasn't angry with Franley. She was angry at her brother for finding her.

"Ya know, I never would have thought you to run so far away," said her brother as he shook his head and smirked.

Candy then noticed that not all smirks were the same. Franley's smirks from earlier were playful and caring and loving. Her brother's smirks are evil and they make her blood turn cold in her veins. Gritting her teeth, she jumped forward in front of her new friends.

"Don't piss me off! Just because I hadn't done household chores in a while doesn't mean I don't regularly exercise! I'm stronger now than I ever was before since I'm being fed properly and allowed proper sleep and a healthy dose of fun!" shouted Candy, fire raging in her eyes.

Franley put a firm but calm hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and his gaze told her "you don't have to fight him. If it comes down to it, I'll handle him". She lowered her fists slowly and nodded.

"Affirmative," she whispered.

"Oh! So you think you're the only one who's gotten stronger. Well, thanks to me being a boy and getting into a workout routine, I've gotten plenty stronger than you! Also, that day, you had me worried I had lost my eye sight for good! But mom and dad took me to the best doctor ever and now I can see. A lot clearer than I ever have in fact! But I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to tell you to leave these creatures alone and come back home where you belong," retorted her brother.

"James, I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't belong there. Mom and that man hate me. And even if they don't hate me, they have hurt me every single day I was there. They left me rags for clothes for crying out loud!" responded Candy.

Kent and Paul just gaped at her and then back at the boy she called brother.

"If you agree to come back home with me, I can make living there a lot more bearable. Mom has already agreed to let you go to school, and she'll give you more desirable meals. Dad is actually proud of you for being so cunning with how you escaped. He's willing to give you allowance once a week," said James.

Candy had to admit. All those changes did sound tempting. But one look at her new friends and family, and she suddenly couldn't decide.

 _I have to know. This is going to be the tie breaker._

"Do they...love me?" asked Candy, her voice still strong and her eyes still determined.

"Yes," lied James. "They do now. As do I. Please, come back home with me. Sister."

He opened his arms and smiled warmly. Candy furrowed her brows.

"You're a terrible liar, James. I've seen too many genuine smiles to know a bullshit smile when I see one," Candy calmly said, crossing her arms.

"Okay fine! So I am lying. But one way or another, you're coming with me, even if it's by force! You're no longer stronger than me, so come willingly and you won't be hurt."

Franley took a step forward, and held out an arm to shield her as Kent and Paul stood in front of her and crossed their arms.

"You'll have to get through us first. We're her new family here, and we don't take kindly to bullies," glared Franley.

James cocked his head quizzically, his demented smile never fading as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Well, I haven't heard of a human with white hair since old Gideon. Though he had white hair because he was exposed to magic and weirdness at birth. So, how'd you get your white hair?" asked James, ignoring the blatant threat.

Franley smirked and stood straighter.

"You're looking at the only half human half monster hybrid in existence. I have magic and determination on my side. All you've got are your muscles, which are no big deal considering the kind of magic I have. So, listen, I don't want to hurt you. Either leave willingly, or I'll have no choice but to protect my new sister," smiled Franley, cracking his knuckles.

"Tch! So you're a freak of nature huh? It's only fitting my weird half sister would become friends with _things_ like you all! Look at yourselves! You're all behind this barrier thing because humanity can't accept you. You're all outcasts with no place in this world!" shouted James.

Franley shrugged, his smile still plastered on his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"It doesn't matter if you think we're freaks or not. As for having no place in this world? Well, I beg to differ. But buddy, if you take one more step, you're really not going to like what happens next. You will. Have. A bad time," threatened Franley as one eye glowed blue in preparation for a fight.

Sweat started to form on James' temple and he unconsciously took a step back before he realized he had just shown a moment of weakness.

"Why am I scared? This kid...that's all he is! It doesn't matter if he's half monster. I know that humans are a heck of a lot stronger than monsters anyway! I'll be fine. Just gotta stay determined to bring Candy back home. Where she belongs," James told himself.

Kent got ready for a fight, as did Paul when he let his claws come loose, and his fangs grew. They stopped though when Franley used one hand to motion for them to stay behind.

"But Franley! He's an extremely strong human!" warned Kent. "Humans are a lot stronger than monsters."

"You forget. I'm half human, and the kind of magic I have. I got this. Just look after Candy."

"But-" started Paul.

"Dang it, I am the Prince! I've been through things much scarier than this guy before and survived. I know what I'm doing!" shouted Franley, causing his friends to shrink back. Candy had an all new respect for Franley. She had never seen or hear him be so serious before. He's always been light hearted and friendly.

"He really cares about me," wistfully thought Candy.

Suddenly, a much bigger man came running behind James.

"Son! Did you find her? Who are these guys?" asked the man.

Franley recognized the man from Candy's dream memory, and his anger and determination spiked.

"You!" Franley yelled before remembering not to make it obvious he knows him in front of Candy.

The man looked at Franley and slowly pointed to himself in question. Franley nodded.

"Who are you?! This is a fight between me and this jerk! If you have any intentions of hurting Candy as well, I will defeat you both," swiftly declared Franley. He was glad he was able to pull that off since he almost slipped.

"Dad, don't interfere. I can handle this kid," smirked James.

"Haha! I don't think you can," chuckled the man, surprising both James and Franley.

"What do you mean?!" James yelled back.

"You allowed your little half sister to beat you til you were almost dead. Now you're about to fight a boy and...wait why does he have white hair and why is his one eye glowing blue?" he asked.

"Half monster, half human. I got magic," hastily responded Franley.

The man just nodded as he continued lecturing his son.

"So, in that case, let me handle this pup," said the man, cracking his neck.

James scoffed and stood off to the side.

"You know, I could just freeze time and drop you over a cliff. That barrier may block monsters from leaving the forest, but I'm half human. I've already left it plenty of times before," smirked Franley.

"Oh? But where's the sportsmanship in that? You're a coward if that's how you fight," shot back the much older man.

"Call it what you will. I call it a strategy, and being smart considering your height and weight. I could easily call you a coward for picking a fight with someone much younger and seemingly helpless against you," said Franley.

"But you're not helpless. Are you," lowly asked the man.

Franley smiled and felt his adrenaline pumping. He figures this must be his human instinct. To love a challenge.

"No sir. I am not helpless. I honestly can say that I feel bad for you. I'm not exactly a true pacifist. If I have to, I will beat you to the point where you are paralyzed forever. Don't think I won't," said Franley.

"Enough talking!" shouted the man as he started running forward.

Franley narrowly dodged his oncoming fist, cartwheeling to the side. All his friends were shocked to see how well Franley dodged that attack.

 _He did say he's been through things a lot worse than this. Even though he loaded, he remembers how to fight. He can do this!_

For a big man though, he sure was fast as he caught Franley off guard and pounced on him. Slightly freaking out, Franley paused time and caught his breath.

"Darn, this guy is heavy!" grunted Franley as he tried to get out from under the guy.

He struggled over and over, breathing heavily.

"I wonder if I can.." he thought as his eyes glowed a blue color and lifted the man off while time was still frozen. His nose started to bleed a little from using two powers at once. He lifted the man high into the sky, and unfroze time.

"What the?! Dad? How'd you get from on top of him to all the way up there?!" asked James.

"He said something about being able to freeze time! Attack him for me!" yelled the man.

"But if I do, won't he let go of you and die?!" asked James.

"Whether you attack him or not, he might let go of me anyway! Go!"

Franley was planning on doing just that, but he was trying to let his lightheadedness fade, then he felt a punch to the jaw and stumbled back. The punch made him lose control of the man in the sky for a moment, but hearing his screaming, he suddenly felt guilty and knew he couldn't kill someone and live with himself. He managed to stop the man from falling to his death while James punched him in the gut over and over and over.

"Franley!" shrieked Candy. She tried to run forward to him, but Kent and paul held her back.

"No! Stop! Why must you two ruin everything?!" cried Candy.

"Hold her for me," ordered Kent.

Paul took out his claws and held them against her in a way that made her stop squirming unless she wants to get cut.

"Hahaha! You talked a big game, and you had us worried for a second! But, you're just a softy aren't you? You love my sister, don't you? Well that's too bad. Once we get rid of you and your precious monsters, no one will love her. Then she'll have to come back home," laughed James.

During Franley's grunts of pain, he lowered the man onto the ground, holding him down with one hand.

"Gaaaahh!" shouted Franley as James took and twisted his hand backwards, causing Franley's grip on his magic to go away.

"Oh I'm sorry. Were you using that to hold my dear old man down? Well, our little playdate was fun, but it's my dad's turn now," smirked James.

Sudden flames caused James to jump back.

"Kent?" wheezed Franley, his vision blurring.

"It's going to be okay, Prince! I'll protect you!" shouted Kent as he shot flames at the boy and man.

"Paul! You should be using your claws to kill my brother and step father! They're going to destroy everything and everyone!" yelled Candy.

"It's going to be fine, now that Kent is helping. There's no need for me to help," said Paul.

Candy looked over at Franley who was doubling over and losing his lunch on the ground. She saw the bruises forming on his skin, and felt the tears spilling from her face.

"Franley!" she called out to get his attention.

Franley weakly looked up at her, eyes widening at her scared face. She willed a smile to cross her features.

"You have to stay determined, Franley! I care about you! So whatever you do! Don't die!" she yelled out.

He looked over at Kent. Kent was shooting his magic fire everywhere, but James and the man were dodging the fire with ease, though they couldn't get close to him. At this rate, all Kent is doing is delaying the inevitable.

"Franley! I still have some food left over in the basket over there! Get healthy again quick!" shouted Paul.

Franley nodded his head, and floated over to the basket since his legs felt so weak. Groaning in pain, Franley opened the basket, took out a sandwich and ate it. His HP was maxed out again, his bruises healing.

He flew back over next to Kent, and started conjuring up bones towards James and his father. They were still able to dodge both attacks, but just barely.

"Shit! If only I had more control over my powers, then I could add more bones and then they wouldn't be able to dodge," hissed Franley.

"You can do it, Franley! I believe in you!" shouted Candy and Paul.

Franley narrowed his eyes.

 _Come on, Franley. You have to stop these two humans! If you don't, they'll kill you. They'll kill all the monsters and no one will be able to stop them! You're the only one capable of preventing that. You have to stop them!_

James got through the barrage of attacks and stabbed Kent with a pocket knife.

"Shit! Kent!" cried Paul.

Franley stopped his attacks and opened his menu, causing James to jump back out of confusion.

"Whoa, what is that?" asked Candy.

"I think that's what he calls his menu," answered Paul. "This is my first time seeing it."

"Look! He's reaching for something that says rewind. Wait. Can he rewind time?" asked Candy.

"I guess so," replied Paul.

Franley pressed the button and didn't stop it until James had just arrived.

"Candy?"

Candy lost all color in her face. Turning around in an instant, Franley stopped time, walked up to James, and broke his arms and legs. He then searched him for any weapons. Once he found the pocket knife, he took it in his hands and broke it before burying it in the ground. He picked up James and brought him over to the group, and resumed time.

"Ahhh!" yelled Candy.

"Wait, what just happened?" asked Paul.

Kent crossed his arms, waiting for an explanation. It wasn't like Franley to just attack someone out of random.

"In a few moments, her step father is going to show up. I'll explain everything after I stop him as well," said Franley, holding up his hand.

"Darn you! I didn't even see you coming! What did you do?" asked James, startling Candy and the two monsters who thought Franley had killed him.

"I paused time, broke your limbs, and got rid of your concealed weapon. Kent and I fought against you and your father, but were no match. You killed Kent with your weapon, so I rewinded time to take care of you in the window of time you're here alone so I can properly deal with your father," explained Franley.

Kent looked up and back at James, shocked.

"Tch. So, together, my father and I are unstoppable," smirked James.

"Correct. But you won't be able to fight alongside your father now since you're out of commission," replied Franley, his gaze not looking away from the barrier.

"Just you wait, boy! You might have been able to defeat me, but even if you do stop time again, you won't be able to really hurt my dad since he's a lot bigger than me and heavier. He'll wipe the ground with you, and take me to the best healer the world has to offer, and he'll get me straightened out!" yelled James.

"While it's true I won't be able to do to him what I've done to you, I got more tricks up my sleeve," smirked Franley.

Candy wondered what he meant, then thought about his ability to lift people and objects.

"Are you going to lift him into the sky and drop him?" asked Candy.

"What?! He won't be able to lift him!" shouted James.

"Heh, my magic allows me to lift anything and anyone up with ease. It'd be as easy as lifting a feather. But, no. If I do that, I would only kill him, and I don't want to kill anyone. I have another way. A way that none of you have ever seen before," responded Franley.

"What do you mean?" asked Paul.

"I can summon bones and Gaster Blasters. The blasters have been upgraded by Alphys, so they look cooler and pack more punch in them. However, there's a chance that I may have to rewind time. I may accidentally kill him a few times before I become aware of how many bones and blasters to use before his health depletes completely," answered Franley, sweat forming at his temples at the thought of accidentally killing someone more than once.

Candy, Kent, and Paul just stared at Franley. They were wondering if by the end of it all, he would still be light hearted and joyful.

 _He had obviously seen some crazy crap underground to be so confident in his abilities, right? Hopefully. He's nervous, but not from the fear of that man beating him. No. He's afraid of accidentally killing him!_

The man came through the barrier, cracking his knuckles.

"What did you do to my son?" asked the man.

"I had to rewind time to decommission him before you two could fight together. So now it's a one on one battle, and sorry to say in advance, but I might kill you a few times before I find out how to hold back. This is the first time I'll be using such powerful attacks on a human, so I'm gonna be rusty," said Franley.

The man's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"You? Kill me?! Hahahaha! Let's see it then! You're so called power that you can't control! By the way, you're a human too! So, why did you refer to me like we're completely different species?"

"Because I'm only half human!" shouted Franley, his eyes glowing blue.

He thrusted his hand forward causing bones to fly towards the man. His eyes widening in shock, dodged the bones. There weren't too many, but each one vibrated with power. Cursing, Franley decided to take a risk, and hold the man in place to let some bones hit him. Stretching out his other hand, he turned the man's soul blue and held him in place.

"What the heck? I can't move!" shouted the man.

"That's right. You're dodging my attacks easily, so I have to endure my body weakening to hold you in place to let my attacks hit you," grunted Franley uncomfortably.

Yelling in fear, the man was struck bone after bone. Silently thanking God, Franley could see the man's HP bar. He nearly gawked at how big it was.

"100 HP!?" he thought to himself.

He ceased the bone attacks to catch his breath while still holding the man in place, and he walked forward.

"Why is your HP so big? What's your LOVE at?!" demanded Franley, his glowing eyes staring right into the man's shaking, caramel brown eyes.

"LOVE? I-I don't know what you mean!" answered the man.

Narrowing his eyes, Franley touched the man's forehead and summoned his menu to look at his stats.

"Your LOVE right here. It says you're at LOVE 50. How many people did you kill to get this?" asked Franley, his voice low and venomous.

"I never killed out of malice! When I was a kid, there were gang members constantly terrorizing me and my family. They tried to kill my sister and mother, so I killed them first! I lost count on how many people I had killed just to save my weak sis and ma. Candy!" he shouted, getting Candy's attention.

"Even though you're not my real daughter, I only acted like I hated you, always beat you, so you wouldn't be weak like them! I wanted you to be able to take care of yourself one day! I was looking forward to the day you would kill me, freeing yourself. But I'm disappointed in you! You only tricked me to escape! If your friend here didn't have his magic, you would have been dragged back to the house!" yelled the man.

Candy blinked back tears.

"There are different ways you could have prepared me! You didn't have to abuse me! You could have trained me, made me lift iron, and encouraged me to never give up without a fight! You could have still had me do household chores, I never cared about all that! All I ever wanted, was to feel loved and cared for! I would have rather killed myself before I killed you!" shouted Candy.

Franley knelt down so he was eye level with the broken man. The man looked down, but Franley grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eye.

"I get it now. You wanted to ensure no one would be able to hurt her. But you...you hurt her. You hurt her on the inside and on the outside. You see how you're the one being hurt now? Karma's a bitch," stated Franley. "Candy is my family now. And when we're older, I'm gonna propose to her. I love her. And she will never be vulnerable to attacks. Because if anyone ever kills her, all I have to do is rewind time and prevent it."

The man didn't say anything more. Franley looked at his HP. He was at 67 out of 100 HP. Sighing, Franley knew he wouldn't be able to keep summoning bones with him in place without fainting first.

 _Physical attacks will work just as good._

He curled his hand into a fist, and punched the man in the face over and over. Each punch dealed about two damage, but at least it was working. He stopped punching when his HP was at 2 left. The man was knocked out, his whole face was purple and blue with red from his broken nose.

"I didn't realize how much HP you actually had. Well, I'm glad that's over with," muttered Franley.


	26. Getting Rid Of The Problems

AMS

GETTING RID OF THE PROBLEMS

Franley, feeling tired from using too much magic at once, fell on the ground from dizziness. Paul let go of Candy as she ran to get some food from the basket and rush over to Franley. She unwrapped the granola bar and pushed it to his mouth.

"Come on, Franley! This will make you feel better," she frantically said, pushing the granola against his lips.

Groaning, he slightly opened his mouth and took a bite from the bar, slowly chewing it and swallowing. Just that little bite made him feel somewhat better. So he took another bite and another until the bar was gone, and his health was almost maxed out again. Candy hugged him then.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she breathed out.

He reached his arms around her and basked in her love. They let go of each other and looked at the two guys on the ground.

"So, what do we do with them now?" asked Candy.

"I can have Alphys build them a special prison," suggested Franley.

"What kind of special prison?" asked Candy.

"I don't know. A chamber that freezes them?" suggested Franley.

"I have a better idea. For some reason, Alphys keeps wanting to show me his inventions and whatnot, saying I remind him of himself when he was younger. Anyway, he has an invention called amnesia dust. We can sprinkle it on them, and maybe he already has another gadget that can be used to help us," said Paul.

Franley remembered the true journal that Toriel had, how she confessed to having a son with Alphys, and that it was Paul.

"I might have to tell him about that. Wait. Do I have to tell him? Nah. Maybe I'll talk to Alphys into telling him the truth," thought Franley.

"That sounds like a good idea," nodded Candy.

Standing back up, Franley lifted James and the guy up using his magic, and brought them back to Alphys' lab in the basement.

"So, you want me to give these two amnesia dust and something else of my choice that will prevent them from attacking you all ever again?" asked Alphys.

"Yes please," said Franley, smiling wide.

"I have something even better than amnesia dust. It's a new and improved, memory eraser! It's a gadget that allows me to search anyone's brain for specific memories, and erase them for good! If I wanted to, I could make them forget you were ever born, Candy!" excitedly announced Alphys.

Candy smiled awkwardly and gave two thumbs up.

"Yeah, look for any memories of me, and erase them all please. Even the one about me being born," said Candy.

Nodding his head, Alphys took out the invention, and began erasing years worth of memories including Candy, Franley, Kent, and Paul. Once Alphys was done erasing their memories of them all, Franley lifted them up with his magic, and then made himself fly over to a town far, far away from Gravity Falls and their forest city. When he was 5 hours away from everything, he dropped them off in a small village, not caring if they find their way back or not. Some people in the village saw Franley and gasped.

"Wait!" someone called out, causing Franley to stop.

"Yes?" he asked.

"H-how are you flying?" they asked.

"Oh. It's because I'm half human, half monster. See, these two guys were abusing my human friend, so I had to protect her. They're alive, just unconscious. They won't remember anything, so, I honestly don't care what you all decide to do with them. Whether you decide to let them make a life for themselves here or not, it's up to you," said Franley.

"Half monster?!" they asked.

"Yeah. My mom is a human, and my dad is a monster. They love each other very much," smiled Franley.

"Oh my. Is it possible we were wrong about monsters?" they murmured to each other as Franley flew back home.

Since then, most of the villagers decided to start being open minded about different things. Once James and the man came to, they asked the people around where they were. The old man got a job as a blacksmith, and James got a job as a baby sitter for any mothers in the village who need someone to look after their kids. The old man lives in their local church and got involved in Christianity. James lives with one of the mothers in the village and looks up to her as if she was his mother, and also goes to church. All that happens later down the road though.

"Where'd you take them?" asked Candy as she leaned back in the dining room chair.

"Some village five hours away. Well, five hours by flight. Not sure how long it is by foot or by car," answered Franley.

Candy's eyes widened.

"So that's why it took you so long," laughed Candy. "What kind of village was it?"

"It seems as if the people there are stuck in the old times with living. I think they were what mother would call Amish," guessed Franley as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"That sounds about right. Maybe now they can actually become better people," nodded Candy.

Franley remembered who they were to Candy and what Alphys had to do to them in order for them to stay away. They had to forget everything about Candy. And she had just said maybe they can become better people now. Why would they become better people just because they can't remember her? The very thought made Franley upset for her. Candy felt strong arms wrap around her comfortingly and she held still, relishing in the warmth.

"Franley, I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, hugging him back.

"Shhhh. Are you okay? With everything that happened?" asked Franley.

Candy shrugged.

"I'm gonna have to be okay with it, because it's done and over with. Ya know?" said Candy.

Franley nodded and pulled her closer to his body. She nearly protested when Franley suddenly let go of her, but stopped herself short. He held out his palm, and a yellow star showed up, and soon, his menu which he used to save. Candy desperately wanted to be in his arms again, wanted to feel safe and secure.

 _No! Don't allow yourself to get too close to him. You still don't know if he will hurt you._

"Well, now that that's done, wanna hang out some more with the guys or do you wanna head home?" asked Franley, smiling over at Candy whose cheeks were flushed.

She looked so lost, and he felt himself worry for her well being. He waved a hand in front of her. After a few seconds, she started blinking and looked up at him.

"Huh? What?" she asked in a daze.

"Are you okay? Did the sun get to you?"

"Uh, yeah I'm fine. Now, what were you saying?"

"Well, I was just asking if you wanted to hang out with me and the guys some more or if you wanted to go home," Franley repeated himself.

"Hang out more. The sun is still out after all and I'm not tired one bit," smugly replied Candy, smirking.

"Hmm. Alright. But if you space out again, I'm taking you home," said Franley.

"What?! But what if I'm just daydreaming? People can daydream you know!" Candy yelled back.

"Hey. If you wanna hang out some more, you gotta actually hang out and not space out," laughed Franley.

Candy glared dangerously at him. She walked up and roughly poked him in the chest.

"Drag me back home without my consent, and I will make your life a living hell!" she threatened.

Franley raised an eyebrow down at her. "More than you're already making it?"

She responded with a slap to his face as she then turned around and crossed her arms. Franley rubbed his cheek, wincing at the pain. Standing up to his feet, he tackled her and pinned her arms down on the grass, her eyes wide with shock which quickly turned to anger.

"Let me go! You are such...ugh!" she screamed as she kicked her legs up and down underneath him.

"Ha! I got you good, Candy! Now say you're sorry and that you're a butt face," teased Franley.

Candy leered at him and pouted before turning her face to the side.

"I will do no such thing," she calmly said.

Irritation growing on Franley's face, he used his magic to hold her down as he used his free hand to turn her face to look at him.

"Tell me, and I will let you go," said Franley, his voice in a seductive low voice.

Candy refused to allow any heat to rise to her face. She rolled her eyes over to the side.

"No," she said, her voice sort of muffled by Franley's fingers pressing into her cheeks, giving her duck lips.

"Oh, so you like me being on top of you. Is that it? Are you secretly a...pervert?" taunted Franley, cocking an eyebrow as a smirk played across his lips.

Candy did not expect him to say that as her eyes widened and her whole face turned red.

"Get off of me! I'm not a pervert you're a pervert! Pervert!" shrieked Candy, causing Franley to wince at the extremely high intervals in her voice which he has never heard before.

"If you really want me to get off, then say it!" taunted Franley, his voice sounding like it was about to break out in laughter at any moment.

Gritting her teeth, she swallowed her pride. It tasted so bitter to do so, and she would not forgive him for a while for making her do this.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"What was that?" Franley asked as he bent lower, his hand cupping his ear while he smiled, his chest slightly brushing against her chest.

"Sorry," she said more loudly through her clenched teeth.

"Aaaand?"

Oh how she wished she could beat the living tar out of him for humiliating her like this. But, she was slightly enjoying it for some reason.

"And I'm a..." she paused.

"A what, my dear Candy?" Franley smiled, biting his lower lip as he was about to win this contest of power.

"A butt face," she finished.

Nodding his head, feeling satisfied, he got up off her and let her go from his magic grip. Candy stood up slowly to her feet, her hands clenching into fists and shaking. Franley knew he had finally won against her, and victory had never felt so sweet before in all his life. She quickly turned to face him, her eyebrows narrowed. Her index finger pulled down the skin from her eye and she stuck out a tongue.

"But you're the Prince of all butt faces! Jerk!" she yelled and ran off.

Franley pouted as he crossed his arms over his chest and breathed out an exasperated breath.

"She always has to have the last word," he shook his head.

For the next few hours before dinner time, Franley, Candy, Paul, and Kent hung out at Kent's home in his room to play some of his video games before reading manga quietly in a circle, everyone pressed against each others' backs. Once they were all finished reading their manga of choice, they each talked about what they thought of their story.

"See ya guys! It's been fun," waved Kent.

Paul had already gone home, so Kent was waving goodbye to Franley and Candy. The two waved back, smiling.

"You know, Kent's really nice. I think I might...like him," blushed Candy.

Franley snapped his head towards her.

"Him?!" he squeaked.

Candy turned to look at him with a look that said "what?" Then, she made a face Franley thought she wasn't capable of making. Her eyes had softened as she looked away and smiled bashfully. She was bashful! How in the world is this possible?!

"Please don't tell him. But, do you think he would like me back?" she asked.

Franley gulped.

 _No. No! Not in a million years! I want you, Candy! But I can't tell her that! Ugh! Darn it, Kent! How in the world did you steal her heart when you're just a flame?! More importantly, why in the world did she fall for someone she barely knows if she has trust issues?!_

But Franley knows that right now, in this moment, she is opening her heart to him. She is vulnerable at this moment. He can't crush her feelings the first moment she opens up like this, even though he doesn't want her to be with Kent.

 _Wait...I don't have to do anything! Kent will just turn her down since she's just a kid. Okay. There's no need to panic._

"Franley?" Candy asked sweetly, causing him to blush purple.

"Uh, sorry. I just instantly thought of you and him on a date, and it was...different," lied Franley. "Um, I don't think Kent would like anyone at your age like that, Can-Can. He's an adult. Yeah, he's a kid at heart and all, but it's kinda against the law for an adult to date a child."

Candy looked down at the ground, and Franley thought she had given up on the idea.

"But then, how come your mom and dad were allowed to date? Frisk told me about how their age used to have a bigger gap than it does now, and how he was her guardian and school teacher," asked Candy.

 _Did he call me Can-Can? A nickname for my nickname?_

"Th-th-that was completely different! My grandma, Toriel, allowed for them to date each other! Completely different situation!" stuttered Franley.

"Then, all I gotta do is first get Frisk's blessing, right?" Candy asked, smiling again with hope glimmering in her eyes. "She is the Queen, and if she ever adopts me, I'll become the Princess of all monsters. Which means you and me would be real life siblings."

Franley didn't want his mother to adopt Candy. He wants to marry her, gosh darn it! He knows how bad that would sound if he just told her that he doesn't want to be her brother since he wouldn't be able to tell her the reason behind it. It would crush her heart. Gah! Why does everything have to be so difficult?! Franley had an idea just then. He decided he would save, and first see how things play out without him meddling in things.

"Ah, my shoes came undone. You go on ahead, I'll catch up," lied Franley as he secretly used his magic to untie his laces.

Candy looked down to see that his laces were undone.

"Okay," she shrugged. Before she walked on, she lightly punched Franley on the arm. "Bro." She smiled at him before she walked ahead.

Franley didn't know until that day, that being called bro could sting so much. Furrowing his brow, he summoned the star and had to do a double take since something new was lit up.

"File...2?" he muttered. He had asked his mom about different files...but he never thought he would figure out how to create another file. And now, here it was. In front of him, flashing different neon colors. He tentatively touched the button, and a new window opened, and he pressed save.

File 2 saved. The windows closed.


	27. Too Hot For Comfort

AMS

TOO HOT FOR COMFORT

The rest of June went by pretty fast as it was filled with nothing but wholesome fun. At least, it would have been nothing but fun, if Franley didn't have to watch Candy subtly drop hints at Kent everytime they hung out. It was enough to make him want to load and just start interfering.

 _Gosh, Kent can be so dense when it comes to flirting. I never knew this about him, and it would have been hilarious had it been anyone else flirting with him. But it's Candy! Candy for crying out loud!_

Unable to suppress the urge to ask, Franley pulled Candy aside and whispered his question in her ear.

"You barely know Kent. You don't know him like I do! So why are you flirting with him when you apparently have a problem getting close to people you barely know?" whispered Franley.

Candy had to think about it. She didn't really know why herself.

"I don't know, really. All I know is... I like what I see, so I'm going for it. If he agrees to date me, it's not like I have to stay his girlfriend. Dating is part of getting to know someone, to see if you're compatable. So in a way, I'm not really trusting him with anything yet," slowly explained Candy.

Franley didn't think of that.

 _Huh. So even if Kent somehow finds out she's flirting, and he agrees to date her, they still might not be compatable after all. There's still hope!_

"I see. Well, good luck. He seems to be kinda dense," snickered Franley.

Candy crossed her arms over her blossoming chest. Franley didn't notice before, but there are two small bumps on her chest with two things poking out. Most monster girls his age don't even have those yet, and he suddenly thought of how his mom has two, big, round bumps on her chest as well. But Candy's were different in two ways. One, they were much smaller. Two, there are tiny things poking through the fabric of her Summer dress.

 _What are those? Do all women have those? Would she get mad if I asked her?_

Deciding to take a chance, he sucked in a deep breath, and let it out.

"Hey Candy. Why do you have to bumps on your chest?" Franley boldly asked, pointing towards her chest area.

Candy scowled as her whole face turned red. Because of reflex, Candy punched him square in the face, breaking his nose in the process. She didn't know what she had done until Franley was on the ground, blood coming out through his fingers as his hand covered his broken nose, eyes widened in shock. Kent turned around from Paul and saw Franley on the ground, bleeding.

"Yikes! What happened? Candy, you really gotta stop hitting him so much. It's unbecoming of a young lady such as yourself," chastised Kent as he helped Franley up.

"But...but..." stammered Candy, her hand still in a fist.

"Candy, I know you have been through something, though I'm not sure what, and that you're aggressive. But, if you want healthy friendships, you need to refrain from hurting them physically and most importantly, emotionally," softly preached Kent.

Candy's fist lowered and unclenched her fist, taking in his words.

 _Kent is upset I hit Franley. It makes sense. I was always upset when my mom and that man and my brother hit me. What part of my brain thought it would be okay to hit someone else?_

Candy suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Here, eat this. It'll heal you right up, man," Kent said, putting a raisin cookie in Franley's mouth. "So, anyone wanna tell me what started the fight so I can help prevent it in the future?"

Candy's face turned red all over again, and she had to fight the urge to punch Franley again as Franley just looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

 _She seems to be embarrassed about those small bumps on her chest. I don't think I should tell Kent exactly what I asked her._

"Uh, I asked her a question that I didn't know she would be uncomfortable with," said Franley.

"Yeah, that's what happened," Candy nodded, her face still burning.

Kent was thinking.

"What was the question?" he asked.

"Uh I don't really want you to know what he asked. It's super embarrassing," Candy said, laughing in between words nevously.

"But, in order to help you two get along, I must know," responded Kent.

Franley suddenly and blatantly pointed at Candy's chest.

"I asked her about those," said Franley.

At this point, Franley wanted Kent's help. Even if it meant embarrassing Candy. Kent's eyes widened in shock for minutes while Franley stared at Kent patiently and Candy's whole face was a tomato. Then, Kent laughed boisterously.

"That's what this is all about?! Candy, you really need to control your temper indeed! But Franley, oh my gosh! I can't believe you asked her that!" laughed Kent.

After a while, he finally calmed down from his laughing fit.

"In all seriousness, now..." Kent cleared his throat, "man, sometimes I forget that you're still a kid who knows close to nothing about females. Anyway, all females, monsters and humans alike, gain breasts when they get older. And they each come in different shapes and sizes, even texture! Candy is still young, so hers might get bigger as she gets older, or they may never grow more than their current size. It's completely normal for a female to have them, as they provide sustenance for future children."

Now it was Franley's turn to feel embarrassed.

"So, uh, everyone knows that?" asked Franley.

"No, not everyone knows that. There are still other kids who have yet to learn that. But Candy. I can't believe you're already growing them! You're like, what, nine? Well, good job. I guess, haha," laughed Kent.

"S-so, you like them?" asked Candy, getting closer to Kent.

Franley snapped his head back up. Kent, surprised, looked down at the human girl. Her eyes were sparkling, and she had a smile and a determined facial expression.

"Uuuhhh...I mean...it would be wrong of me to answer that. No matter how I would answer that, it wouldn't bode well for me. You understand, right?" replied Kent.

Candy pouted. She wanted an answer from him. She wanted _the_ answer from him.

"Hmm. Hey, Kent!" she chirped, feeling excited about her new plan.

"Yeah, kiddo?" asked Kent, raising a fire brow.

"I wanna hang out with you sometime. Just the two of us! Pwease?" begged Candy, grabbing his hand. But she had grabbed it without him knowing she would do so, so he didn't have time to neutralize his flames, and accidentally burned her little hand as she jerked her hand away and hissed in pain.

"Oh dude! You surprised me! Here, have the rest of my cookie. It'll heal you right up," offered Kent.

Franley was about ready to pull his hair out of his head. Half the cookie was gone, with some burn marks on the edges of the bite marks, indicating that Kent had taken a bite. It was going to be an indirect kiss! Candy knew this all too well as she looked at the cookie like it was a legendary being with majestic powers.

"Here. Open your mouth," soothingly said Kent, smiling at her.

 _This guy doesn't know what he's doing! I gotta do something! But I promised I wouldn't interfere and see if they were truly meant to be. I don't want them to be meant to be!_

Not wanting to make a sound, Franley flew back home, not wanting to see anymore of the scene before him.

Candy parted her full lips as Kent put the cookie half in her mouth. She chewed, relishing in the burnt taste.

 _I'm tasting Kent from this cookie. Oh man he is so delicious!_

The burn on her hand quickly healed as she swallowed the cookie. She didn't want to swallow the cookie. She wanted to keep tasting it forever.

"There! Do you feel better?" asked Kent, standing back up.

Candy nodded, blushing.

"So, can we hang out sometime? Just the two of us?" asked Candy.

"Ah, sorry, but we can't. I know you mean as just friends and all, but everyone else would look at it like we're dating, and I would be arrested for stagitory rape. We gotta hang out in groups, little buddy," nervously smiled Kent.

"What if we just hang out together at your place? We could play video games together...or something," suggested Candy.

"Well that would be worse. If anyone found out I was hanging out with you alone at my place, I would definitely get more than just arrested," said Kent.

Candy pouted. "What if I can get Frisk's permission?"

Kent thought about that. "I suppose if the Queen is okay with us hanging out by ourselves, then we can. But I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't think it's a good idea, regardless of her knowing my parents."

"That's good enough for me! Thank you!" beamed Candy as she ran back home.

Candy felt like everything in her life was beginning to be normal. She finally had a nice mom, dad, the best brother one could ask for, a best friend, and a potential boyfriend.

"Mom! Dad!" Candy shouted before she was aware of what she called them.

Frisk and Sans looked up at her.

"Did...did you call us what I think you called us?" asked Sans, putting down his tea and paper.

Candy came in and sat down, still smiling blissfully.

"What? What did I call you? I said your names didn't I?" asked Candy.

Frisk gestured at Sans to tell him to let it go and not make a big deal about it.

"What did you want?" asked Sans softly, giving her his undivided attention while Frisk resumed chopping the vegetables.

"I like this guy. He's eighteen but he's really nice and really cool. You both know him and his parents, and you both like them. So, can I please date him?" asked Candy, folding her hands together and giving Sans her best puppy dog eyes one could muster.

Sans' jaw dropped.

 _An adult? Someone we know and like?_

"I think you should date someone around your own age. Like Franley's age," calmly answered Sans.

Candy's eyes got bigger and shinier.

"But I like this guy! Please? You used to be Frisk's teacher and guardian, and you and her got to be together. This could be the one!" begged Candy.

Frisk stopped chopping and came to sit at the table.

"Sans, we can't be hypocritical. But, we would feel better if you saw this guy in groups. Like, a double date situation. We care about you and don't want to see you get hurt," Frisk said, her tone and gaze warm and motherly.

"But I have been hanging out with him in groups. I want to get to know him, and the only way he will open up is if we're alone. He's not a creep. I asked him today if he would hang out with me alone, and he said he would if he had permission to," replied Candy.

"Maybe. Who is this guy?" asked Sans.

"Kent," muttered Candy, her mouth slightly covered by her arms on the table.

"Who?" asked Frisk.

Candy lifted her head and sighed.

"It's Kent."

Frisk and Sans were definitely surprised. Of all the monsters Candy could have fallen for, it had to be the son of their best friends.

"You know, I'm surprised you decided to date anyone rather than Franley. After all, he was the first boy you met outside your old family," stated Frisk as she stared at the ceiling.

"Franley? He's nice and all, but I need a real man. Not a naive child. Besides, he's gonna be my new brother one day," said Candy with disgust in her voice and face, hinting at wanting to be adopted into the family.

The hint did not go by unnoticed by the King and Queen.

"Is that really what you want? To be adopted by us?" Frisk asked, her voice just above a whisper.

Candy's finger circled on the table.

"Well...it would be nice to have a family. One that doesn't make me their slave and all," said Candy, shrugging.

Candy felt slender arms wrap around her, and she returned the hug. Sans just smiled warmly at Candy as he thought about her being his new daughter.

"Of course you can be part of our family. We all love you so much. I just bet Franley would love to have you as his new sister," whispered Frisk.

Candy had a feeling that Franley actually wouldn't like it too much.

 _Of course he would like it! You and him get along just like normal siblings, after all. So why not make it official? You can call him big bro and he can call you lil sis, and it'll be magical and always fun!_

"Please," whispered Candy, clutching Frisk's shirt tightly, "adopt me. Mom."


	28. It's Not In The Cards

AMS

(Bold letters is a flashback)

IT'S NOT IN THE CARDS

The next few weeks went by dragging their feet. For Franley at least. As for Candy, they went by skipping through a field of magic flowers, so to speak. That's how happy she's been by being able to go out with Kent.

" **Our little Candy said how much she would love to be able to hang out with you, one on one."**

 **Kent shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Sans was staring at him. Hard. Like he was being interrogated.**

" **Well, you see, I did nothing to provoke her to ask such a strange question. I already told her not to get her hopes up. If you want me to stay away from her due to her...unusual behavior, I'd be more than happy to oblige," Kent said, his voice strained from fear and nervousness.**

" **Oh, you did something whether you think you did or not," replied Sans.**

 **Kent gulped inaudibly as he awaited some type of severe punishment. It wasn't fair! Kent never asked Candy to start acting weird around him. He had no idea what to do, or how to handle her sudden change in behavior. When Sans' white pupils came back and his smile returned, Kent could breathe easy again.**

" **Just take care of her, and don't hurt her. Because if you do...buddy...pal..." his pupils disappeared again, "you're gonna have a bad time."**

 **Kent stood up when Sans did, his pupils having returned.**

" **Yes, your Highness," Kent bowed.**

" **Oh, Kent. Are you even aware of why she's suddenly asking these weird questions?" Sans asked.**

 **He had a feeling that the eighteen year old was oblivious to the truth, even though the truth had been hitting him upside the head.**

" **No! And it's driving me crazy not knowing why! Do...do you know why? Can you tell me?" begged Kent.**

 **Sans had to hold back his chuckle in front of the frazzled flame elemental. He coughed to get the urge out.**

" **Kent...the kid likes you," Sans explained.**

 **This only drew a perplexed expression from Kent.**

" **I know she likes me. I like her too. We've been friends for a while now so it's a given that friends like each other," responded Kent.**

 **Sans couldn't hold it back anymore as a strained chuckle escaped his mouth.**

" **What? Was it something I said?" asked Kent.**

" **Kinda. See, the kid thinks you're...hot," winked Sans.**

" **Huh? I mean, I am a flame monster"**

 **Kent's hand rested on his hip now as he studied the punny King. The King had a hand on the table while he silently chuckled.**

" **Sans, stop beating around the bush and tell him. I bet the suspense is not at all firing him up," laughed Frisk.**

" **Seriously? With the puns? While I'm so confused?" asked Kent, who was starting to feel irritated.**

 **Sans and Frisk high fived each other who then straightened themselves out.**

" **Candy wants to date you. She wants to be more than your friend. Your girlfriend, if you will," explained Sans.**

 **Beside them, Frisk squealed and clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with embarrassment.**

" **Sorry! I couldn't help myself. It's just...she reminds me of myself when I was her age except...more abrasive," weakly smiled Frisk.**

 **The men nodded and Kent turned back to Sans.**

" **Ok this is so wrong on so many levels. I'm an adult whereas she's not even a teenager yet, let alone in the double digits yet. Yes, she started developing small breasts recently, but she is still a child! She ought to date someone her own age, like Franley," said Kent, exasperation in his voice.**

" **We told her the same thing, but she really wants to date you. Why not give her what she wants for now, just until she grows out of this phase and moves on to someone else?" asked Sans.**

" **That's true. This may just be a phase. She might think she likes you like that simply because of you being much older than her. She already sees Sans as a father figure, but maybe her childhood trauma is pushing her into these phases. It should be fine. Just treat her like her age, and eventually, she will get bored and leave you alone," said Frisk, clasping her hands together.**

 **Now that idea made the knot in Kent's stomach settle. The idea of her moving along to someone else, preferrably younger than him.**

" **Alright. I shall give this child what she wants, while treating her like the child she is. Thanks for the advice," thanked Kent as he shook the King and Queen's hands.**

And now here Kent was, in his room with Candy, and if he had hair, he would have pulled it out by now. He thought she would have moved on the moment he treated her like a kid, but she was loving the attention. He considered ignoring her, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. She's a good kid. A little misguided, and definitely went through something and has issues stemming from that incident, but other than that, she's just your average feisty nine year old.

"Hey Kent. What'cha thinking about?" asked Candy as she crawled into his lap.

Even though her knees brushed against his spot, he felt no pleasure from her touch. He saw Franley as his own little brother, and ever since he met Candy, had viewed her like his own little sister. This whole dating thing is turning him off big time, and he has spent many nights just glaring at himself in the mirror.

"Just that a nice, young girl like you should really find someone else. Someone younger than me," nervously smiled Kent.

Candy pouted. Her pouts used to make him find her cute and funny, and extremely childish but in a good way. Now they make him feel sick and anticipate the worst case scenario. He made it a habit to lower his flames whenever she was around so she wouldn't accidentally burn herself again. Candy wrapped her arms around him and looked into his eyes. He was a nervous wreck all the time because of her.

 _Why does this child have so much control over my feelings? I should be the one in control of the situation. I'm the adult, she is just a child! Even though she is a child, she has instilled so much fear and self hatred in me. Things I thought I would never experience from a mere child._

Then it dawned on him. Maybe this was how she felt in the past? Fear. And self hatred.

"Okay, enough is enough, Candace," sternly said Kent.

Candy flinched. Kent has always called her Candy. He has never called her by her real name, and his voice was so stern. Just like a true adult's.

"W-what do you mean?" Candy asked.

"Untangle yourself from me! I should have said no to you from the beginning rather than hoping you would go on your merry way," exasperatedly said Kent.

When she didn't let go, Kent slowly raised his temperature.

"I will burn you if you don't let go. I am not playing with you," warned Kent.

Candy let go, her heart on the verge of breaking. She could feel intense painful emotions arising from her abdomen to her chest. Kent stood up and placed his hands on his hips as he stared her down. She now looked so fragile. A fragile flower that he never should have "pretended to pick". He only went along with what the King and Queen suggested, and he had to admit, the plan sounded like it would work.

 _Maybe I'm just rushing things? What if she was already so close to leaving on her own, and I'm just causing her unnecessary pain?_

Kent sighed.

 _No. I can't make decisions based on how others may feel. I have to make decisions based on how I feel. This can't just be about her anymore. Not when my sanity is on the line._

Candy's whole body shook as she tried to contain this new emotion building inside her. There were no tears. She had this shocked expression on her face as her bottom lip quivered.

"I think it'd be best if you go home, and we stop seeing each other. It's not you, it's your age. Had you been older, I would have had no problem dating you. But you're just a child. I'm sorry for leading you on. It wasn't my intention," apologized Kent.

 _What is this new feeling rising up inside my chest? Why is it not sadness, depression, or fear, or anger? This new feeling, I feel could change everything. That water in my bottles...should I? It would make this feeling disappear if I did._

Kent saw where she was looking, and his eyes widened in fear. Before she had a chance to make up her mind, he dove down and grabbed the bottles, and placed them on a high shelf, away from her as he picked her up and began dragging her out of his house.

"You know, I thought that you were a good kid, but now I know...that deep down...you're just another filthy human!" growled Kent.

Now it was Candy's turn to feel fear rather than what she was feeling moments ago.

"You need to leave the forest. Because if you're not gone by tomorrow, I will notify the Royal Guard about what you were thinking of doing, and you will be locked up for the rest of your miserable human life, which I hope, for the sake of monsters, is short," glared Kent as he threw her outside onto the pavement, hard.

"Wait, Kent! I'm sorry for even thinking it! Please don't force me to leave behind the only family I have!" cried Candy, the tears spilling.

"You don't care about them! You only care about yourself, and what pleases you! I was selfless to go on your little dates, in hopes that you would get what you wanted and move on. And how do you repay me? By threatening my very life! A life that you cannot give back! And how long until Franley would find out before he knew to load, if he hasn't already saved after my death unknowingly? Leave the forest or face the consequences. I am giving you a chance to still have freedom. You should take it," yelled Kent.

He slammed the door in her face. Her red and wet face. For the first time ever, she felt like a scolded child left with no options other than to obey. It was hours before she got up and headed back to the house to gather a few things. The first hour, she just sat there, crying. The next two hours were spent just staring at Kent's house in shock. Where had it all went wrong? They were having fun! Why did Kent get so mad at her? She didn't even touch the bottles yet. She was only staring at them, right? So why was he so angry and telling her to leave her family? The only ones who care about her? Then she ran to them. Ran to them to tell them what happened.

 _They care about me. It's not up to Kent or the Royal Guard what happens to me! I didn't even do anything! I'll ask Sans to shortcut to Kent's room to get rid of the water bottles before Kent wakes up the next day. I can still live here! I can still have a family!_

"Mother! Father! Brother!" shouted Candy, as she came running in the house.

Franley had gotten somewhat used to her calling him brother. He had figured, just like his parents had figured with her and Kent, that it was just a phase due to trauma.

"Papa Sans!" cried Candy as she ran to where he was sitting and hugged him, shaking and crying.

Sans' pupils left his eye sockets, and when Candy looked up, the breath left her body as she just stared back in horror.

 _Does he already know and hate me for it? But, I need to explain myself!_

"Did Kent hurt you, sweetheart?" Sans asked.

 _Oh, he was only concerned for me._

Candy shook her head no.

"Kent didn't touch me or anything if that's what you're thinking. But he...he told me that he should have told me no from the beginning, and then I felt some weird emotion I had never felt before, and I was staring at the bottles of water for a long time, still just trying to figure out what I was feeling. Then he grabbed the bottles and put them away from me and dragged me outside, where he threatened to turn me in to the Royal Guard if I don't leave the forest! But dad! I didn't even do anything! Kent's the one who should have told me no if he didn't really want to date me. If he had done that, then that weird feeling would never have come up!" explained Candy frantically.

Frisk stilled in her seat, thinking about everything from Candy's perspective, and then from Kent's perspective.

 _Oh no... it had been because of Sans and I that Kent even agreed to date her. It's our fault that she considered killing him without realizing that was what she was about to do. If we hadn't interfered, Kent would have turned her down._

Franley wanted to smile. He wanted to do a victory dance that they weren't meant to be, but not only would that be inappropriate right now, it would also make him look like a freak! His best friend could have died tonight, and no one would have found out until who knows when.

Sans stood up after Candy had been called over by Frisk as she now held Candy in her arms and rocked her back and forth, telling her to shush in a comforting tone.

"I'll go talk to him. Don't worry, Candy. No one's making you leave," said Sans.

 _I'll wait until dad gets back before I decide to load or not. I feel like I might have to load just to warn Kent about all this, without telling him his life was in danger. If I do that, Candy's name will be cleared again, she could continue to just be his friend, and I can pretend all of this never happened._

Kent was staring at himself in the mirror in his room. He had some lines by his eyes already.

"Was I...too harsh on her?" he asked his reflection.

His gaze wandered to the water bottles, and he sighed.

"No. I did what I had to do to protect myself. I read about the humans from the war, how they killed monsters without a shred of mercy, but Franley had me believing we could all trust this human child. That she was different. But she's not. She's just another human who doesn't know the meaning of mercy."

"Oh she's a good kid still. Sure, she might have had a lapse in judgement, but she didn't act on it. Not like my wife once did as an experiment when she first fell underground," Sans voice softly said, making Kent look back up in the mirror to see Sans standing behind him.

"I'm sorry for hurting her. But she was going to kill me. Sir, she's dangerous! She needs to leave. I fear she will kill someone eventually, and she will have no choice but to get drunk off that power because it's in a human's DNA," replied Kent.

Sans walked over to the bottles of water, and tossed them through a portal.

"She won't. Because she is going to get the help she needs. From me and Frisk, my brother, Alphys, Undyne, and Jock. All of us care about her. We know what she has been through, so for her to react like this to a breakup is not at all surprising. Did we expect her to react like that? No. But we understand," explained Sans.

"Why are you getting rid of the crime evidence, sir? Do you not care about your people?" cried Kent angrily, but shrank back down when Sans harshly turned his head.

"Let me tell you a true story. You remember how before Franley was born, my wife had the power to save, load, and reset right?" asked Sans.

"Yeah. The Queen had those powers from determination, and it transferred to your guys' son and my best friend. But she's different! She isn't like those other humans out there. She isn't like Candace," Kent spat out her name like it was water.

Sans chuckled as he sat down next to Kent.

"Actually, there are more similarities than you think. My wife wasn't always 'different'. There was a timeline where she was just like all the other humans. I call this timeline, the Genocide run, and it all started, when she first came from Underfell, an alternate universe where everyone is an evil version, except for Frisk. She did this run, simply because she didn't know what to expect, because she was scared, because she felt alone and that she had to take care of herself and couldn't trust anyone. Sound familiar yet?"

Kent shut his mouth and nodded his head.

"They both share that feeling of distrust and fear. Anyway, when I first met her-" Sans began.

For a couple hours, Sans had explained to Kent everything Frisk had done in the Genocide route, and why she did it all, and how it took several runs for him to even begin trusting her. And how eventually he had began to trust her. Because like all humans, they're all determined. And Frisk had been determined to make amends.

"Give Candy the chance to make amends. I am sure, that over time, you will see her as someone who made a mistake, and that they feel really bad about it. Even monsters make mistakes," concluded Sans.

Kent only nodded his head.

"Welp, I'm gonna go back home now. Take it easy."


	29. Franley Tells Candy

AMS

FRANLEY TELLS CANDY

After Sans came back home through a shortcut portal, Franley saw Sans soothingly tell Candy, who was still in his mother's arms, that everything was going to be okay as he rubbed circles on her back. Up in their room, Franley and Candy were playing the monster apocalypse game again. Candy had gotten better at gaming, Franley noticed. But he also noticed how tired and worn out she looked. He knows she definitely doesn't like herself.

 _I want to tell her. Before I load, I want to tell her what I plan on doing, just so it's out. It sure is nice. To be able to say something to someone, and bring back time to before it ever happened._

Franley paused the game, and Candy rolled over on to her back as she stared at the now upside down screen.

"Why'd you pause it? Do you have to pee or something?" she asked, her voice strained.

"No. I need to talk to you about something important," replied Franley.

He hopped onto the bed next to her, and laid on his stomach as she rolled onto her side, facing him.

"You don't remember this at all, but I was underground for months, and there are still monsters living down there," he started.

"Still monsters down there, huh? It's not surprising, since there are humans like me still up here," sighed Candy.

"You're not going to hurt anyone. I know you a little bit better by now," he sternly said, facing her. "But anyway, I have to tell you what will happen to me in just five months from now. In December, I will have mastered the use of my powers, which will make my soul purple, and it will also turn my whole left side into a skeleton."

Candy looked more awake now as she got up into a sitting position.

"Your half monster side will come out physically when you master your powers?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes. When that time comes, I want to go back underground so I can save the monsters."

She thought about it, and didn't understand why he felt like he had to wait so long.

"Why not save them now?" she asked.

Franley's expression turned into one of fear, pain, and then pity.

"Because there is a soulless flower down there who can kill me if I'm not careful. If I were to go down there now, he could easily overpower me if he were to recognize I'm not Chara. So it would be pointless to go before mastering my powers. Once I master them, I can hold my own against him without problem. I know this, because he revealed to me that my dad had killed him several times before, before my mom fell," explained Franley.

"A soulless...flower? Just pull off his petals!"

"Eh, that's kinda gruesome and cruel. Plus I'm pretty sure that would make me someone I'm not. I don't want to hurt anyone. With great power comes great responsibility. I just wanted to tell you all this. Before I loaded."

Candy shook her head and stared at him, bug eyed.

"Load?!" she shrieked.

"Duh. I can't let what happened between you and Kent to happen since your name is now sort of tainted among the monsters. I can prevent all this from happening. It might take me several tries, but I can help you and him stay friends. I just thought that this was a perfect opportunity to tell you all this before I did that because once I load, you won't remember a thing. Oh, there is one more thing I should tell you," Franley said.

"Uh, sure? I won't remember anyway so I don't even know why you're still telling me things if you don't plan to tell me again," Candy said dully.

"I'll tell you again one day. Anyway, one of the monsters I met down there is a ten year old pink monster. Her name is Prisk. As you can guess, none of the monsters down there remember meeting me. But, she had grown attached to me and I had become attached to her while I was down there. I offered her a marriage proposal for in the future," blushed Franley.

Candy suddenly felt a twinge in her heart, though she wasn't sure why.

 _You should be happy your new brother found someone he loves._

"But she wasn't sure once I told her the catch."

Candy was confused now.

"The. Catch? What was it?"

She had completely forgotten that once he loads, she won't remember any of this. She couldn't stop herself from asking questions and wanting to know more.

"The catch was...she won't be my only wife. See, I'm half human, half monster. I want to unite the two species as much as I can in my lifetime, and create a lot more hybrids in the future. In order to do that, I will need a human wife, and a monster wife. I chose her to be my monster wife. I already know who I want for my human wife, but she doesn't feel the same way about me. So I think...I'm gonna have to keep looking," sadly said Franley.

Candy understood why Prisk would be uncertain after a condition like that. To share the man you're married with the species that pushed them underground. That is a tough call indeed.

"Who's the human girl you chose?" asked Candy.

Franley looked into her eyes, his hand reached up and cupped her cheek as he smiled at her, his eyes full of love.

"I chose you," he revealed. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped. When it did, he stole a kiss from her. Just as quickly as he had touched her lips, he just as quickly pulled away.

He got up, leaving her looking dazed and flushed. Franley walked over to his desk, pulled out a pair of scizzors, and plunged them right into his stomach, and then his chest. He could hear Candy shrieking in horror in the background. He could hear the muffled sounds of his parents, saying soothing things to Candy. Telling her she will forget soon. Telling her that in a few moments, none of this will have happened. That Franley will be back.

"I think I like him," blushed Candy.

Franley sighed. He is so happy he saved during this moment.

"Listen, Candy. Kent isn't one to date little kids. And I know that even if my parents give their blessings, Kent won't be up for it," stated Franley.

Candy's face contorted into annoyance.

"You're just jealous because you don't have anyone to date!" she accused.

Franley rolled his eyes.

"That's what you think," he murmured under his breath.

Without saying a word, Franley lifted Candy and took her back home before she could do or say anything else, and sat her in front of his parents.

"Candy likes Kent, and it won't work out. I've seen it all unfold and it isn't pretty," Franley said to his mom and dad in private, his voice hushed.

"Oh? We gave her permission to date him and it didn't go well? What happened?" asked Frisk.

"I can't say, for reasons that only dad and I are aware of. Dad, please don't spill the beans. If anyone were to know, well, you know what would happen," begged Franley.

"Hey. You're the one with the determination powers here, not me. I'll do what you think is best. After all, it's not like if I make a mistake I can just fix it myself. But I'm confused about something. You killed yourself to load. But you have a rewind option. Why didn't you just rewind?" asked Sans.

"Because that would have taken a while to get back to where I saved. It was two whole weeks, dad. It was simpler to just bear the pain until I died and loaded," explained Franley.

"Oh. Gotcha. Okay then. What should we do?" asked Sans.

Franley tapped his chin.

"Don't bring Kent in at all to talk. If you all leave things be, Kent should just brush her off since he sees her as a little child and nothing more. But, if things start showing signs of repeating themselves, I will tell Kent to bluntly tell her he's not interested," thoughtfully said Franley.

 _You should just find Kent and tell him right now!_

"Better yet, keep and eye on Candy. I'm gonna go find him right now."

Without waiting for a response, Franley pushed past his parents and Candy, running outside, then using his magic to quickly fly himself to Kent's house. He loudly banged on his door.

"Hold on!" called a voice.

The door opened, and Kent was in front of him.

"Franley? What's up, little dude?" asked Kent. He moved aside to allow Franley to come in and drink some water.

"Listen to me," Franley started after drinking some water.

Kent sat down and nodded.

"Candy likes you more than just a friend."

Kent looked shocked. "But she's just a kid. And I'm an adult. Doesn't she know it's not meant to be?"

"Well, no one really knew for sure if it was or not until I saw everything play out. It wasn't meant to be, but I'm not here to tell you what happened. I'm here to tell you how to prevent it. And by doing that, the next time it's just you, me, and Candy, you have to tell her that you don't like her that way," explained Franley, his tone serious.

"I imagine something dangerous will happen if I try to ignore her antics?" asked Kent.

"Well, I don't know what will happen if you just ignore her flirting. But I do know that I don't want to take that chance. If this doesn't work, then I will load and we will try your ignoring idea. But until then, you should try to nip it in the bud before it progresses any further. Can I count on you?"

Franley looked at Kent, pleading in his eyes. Kent had never seen Franley look this way, and it made him realize how serious this must truly be. He wasn't sure how a little child flirting with an adult could turn out to be dangerous, but he nodded his head at Franley.

"Yes. You can count on me. Both of you meet me at the public pool. I heard the weather isn't going to be as extreme, so it won't be overly crowded, but it will still have monsters there. I'm getting the vibe that we should have witnesses around or something. Is there anything else I should know?" asked Kent.

Franley sighed in relief.

"Nah man. That was it. Thanks for being so cool about all this," breathed Franley.

Franley thought about what he had just said to a fire elemental, and chuckled a bit.

"What's got you laughing so suddenly?" asked Kent.

"Just the fact I told you thanks for staying cool. You're made of fire," responded Franley, smiling as wide as Sans.

"Oh man! You're turning into your dad," laughed Kent.

The two laughed for a little while. Kent looked out the window and frowned.

"It's really late now. Wanna have a sleepover and play video games until we get tired? I got snacks if you're hungry," offered Kent.

"Heck yeah! Let me just call my parents to get their permission first."

Franley downed the rest of the water and bounded over to the phone.

"Hello?" asked Frisk.

"Hey, mom. I got done talking to Kent about everything. Since it's so late now, can I sleep over with him and come back home tomorrow for dinner? He wants me and Candy to hang out with him at the pool tomorrow," asked Franley.

"Well I don't see why not. It is Summer vacation, and he is your best friend. I don't even care if you pull an all nighter! There's no school tomorrow," chuckled Frisk.

"Great. Thanks!"

He hung up the phone, and he and Kent began preparing a large plate of snacks for them to eat while they game.

"So Franley's spending the night with Kent?" asked Candy.

She felt a sting of jealousy. She wished it was her instead of Franley spending the night. She nearly drooled at the naughty thoughts in her head.

"Yes because Kent has known Franley since he was born, and the two are best friends. Practically brothers the way those two are. I still remember the day they met Paul. Paul was five years old when Franley was seven, and Kent was thirteen. Those three have been inseparable," replied Frisk.

"Yep. Those boys are good boys. They never got into any trouble together. Well, big trouble I mean. They each had their share of breaking house rules sometimes. But they always stuck together. Heh. Reminds me of when Frisk met Fuku, Naomi, and Brent," reminisced Sans.

Frisk felt sad suddenly.

"Yeah. None of us had any time to hang out because they're always busy with Kent and their jobs, and I'm busy being a mom and with my Queen duties. Sometimes I still have dreams about the day I saved Naomi from Grillby, and then saved Brent from Naomi and then again saved Naomi from herself as well as that hospital. Fuku never needed saving. Her and I were the glue that held everyone together. And boy, I remember when I found out Fuku and Brent got together, and when they told me they were expecting a baby," Frisk smiled sadly.

Candy was interested to hear more about Frisk's life suddenly.

"So, you were just like Franley was?" asked Candy.

Frisk looked at Candy, surprised she thought that. Then she smiled.

"Thank you for the compliment, but no. When I had those powers, I didn't plan to think ahead at first. I was reckless. The pain of dying? Became numb to me. I felt nothing everytime I died because I had done it so many times. It was always after I failed the first time, that I then advised a plan. For some reason, I always thought that things would work out the first time if I went by instinct," replied Frisk.

Candy was surprised to hear Frisk say she was reckless and died a lot due to her recklessness when all she knows and remembers of Frisk is how cautious she is, and how she talks things over with Sans and the other monsters before going with anything.

 _Maybe she became like that after she found out her powers were given to her son._

The rest of the night was peaceful as Frisk and Sans shared stories from the underground with Candy during dinner. Franley and Kent passed out during a level, and snack residue was on their faces. Kent's flames burnt the food on his face until it blew away from becoming ashy.


	30. Confrontation

AMS

CONFRONTATION

Franley woke up to a flame foot near his face. Looking around, he noticed how the snacks got everywhere on the floor, how the video games were splayed out randomly, and how the screen still read game over. They somehow managed to get both of their characters in a lava pit. He pushed Kent's foot away from him and sat up, wiping the crusty food off his face and looked over at the clock. It was already almost eleven.

"Dude! Get up! We gotta change! Me into my swimming trunks, and you in your full body suit! Speaking of, that is a neat invention Alphys made for flame elementals. You can experience the cool temperature of the water without actually touching the water. Anyway, we gotta move it!" shouted Franley.

Kent groaned while he slowly got up. While Franley pulled out one of his swimming trunks from a drawer in Kent's room, Kent went and cleaned up their mess.

"You know, I had a girlfriend once, and the reason why she broke up with me is because of the fact that you have your own drawer here. She thought I was gay for you. I tried telling her you have a drawer here because we've been having sleep overs since we were kids, and that you keeping certain things over here was just easier. But she wouldn't have it," Kent said, sighing as he remembered the beautiful monster girl.

"Don't worry about her, bruh. The right girl will accept that we're basically like brothers, and she won't care that I have my own drawer here. Besides, if I didn't have my own drawer here, then me constantly spending the night here would have been a huge inconvenience since I would have had to rush back home and junk. This way, if Candy is already at the pool, we won't have to waste anymore time," replied Franley as he stripped out of his clothing and pulled on his trunks.

Kent grimaced.

"Don't you wanna take a shower in your personal bathroom first? You're all grimy from food and sweat," asked Kent.

Franley waved his arm dismissively at Kent. "No time, man. No time. But I definitely will shower later, after the pool."

Shaking his head, Kent grabbed his full body swim suit and walked into his closet, closed the door, and undressed in there.

"I keep telling you that you should really stop changing in front of me. It could get me in trouble," Kent called from inside his closet.

"Ah, there's nothing for you to get in trouble about. We've changed in front of each other our whole lives! I know you've watched my mom and dad change my diapers when I was still a baby. So, it's not like we have anything new we haven't already seen," chuckled Franley.

Kent huffed as he came out of the closet.

"I'm ready. Let's go call your mom to ask if Candy already left for the pool," said Kent. His eyes narrowed and then widened.

"Franley, you have a chest hair!" exclaimed Kent.

"Whu? Really?" asked Franley, his head looking down. He gasped really loudly, grabbed Kent's arms, and began dancing in a circle.

"I'm a man, Kent! At long last! A man!" cheered Franley, causing Kent to laugh.

The two quickly walked to the kitchen where Franley called his household. Sans answered the phone.

"Yellow?" he asked.

"Hey, dad. Is Candy still there?" asked Franley.

"Oh, hey Yellow. Nah, she left for the pool. But you both should get there quickly to protect her," replied Sans.

"Protect her? From what? She doesn't know how to swim?" asked Franley, confused.

"No she knows how. Frisk taught her at the beginning of June. What I'm worried about is the swimsuit she's wearing. It's only slightly covering her areas I won't say out loud. You know what I mean, right?" asked Sans.

"Uh, I got a pretty good idea of what you mean. Who let her even get such a thing?!" shouted Franley.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps she went shopping on her own? Because I know I would have never allowed her to purchase that thing if she was shopping with me, and I'm pretty sure your mom wouldn't have gone for it either. Papyrus and Alphys learned their lesson long ago, so we can count them out. Jock is...nah he ain't like that. He's got his own kid, so as a parent, he wouldn't lust after little girls like that. At least I'm hoping. Hmm. I'm gonna go now. You two get to the pool asap. Bye," said Sans, abruptly hanging up.

"What's wrong? Is Candy in trouble?" asked Kent.

"She will be one way or the other. Do you have extra towels somewhere?" replied Franley, his tone showing annoyance with Candy.

"Yeah. In the hallway closet. They're all for you since my folks and I would burn them up," nodded Kent.

Franley swiftly made his way past Kent, and grabbed a large towel from the closet, then grabbed Kent's wrist and pulled him out the door.

"There's no time to walk or run. We're gonna fly," Franley said, his brows furrowing.

Kent had no idea what's gotten Franley so upset, but he stopped thinking about it when his whole body was lifted off the ground, and he could see the tops of buildings for miles. It was a beautiful sight. When they landed in front of the pool entrance, Franley rummaged through his backpack for petals.

"Welcome! Two?" asked the bird monster.

"Yes, sir. Hey, have you seen a human girl in a swimsuit?" asked Franley.

"Sure have! She's already paid to come in fifteen minutes ago. Let's see, for two, it costs 40 petals for the whole day," squawked the monster.

"Nuts! I only have 39 petals," frowned Franley.

The bird monster sensed that Franley needed to get in.

"Hey, kid. I'll pay the last petal," winked the monster.

Franley gasped, surprised. This monster never helped anyone short on petals before.

"Really? But why? You usually don't care if someone can't afford the pool, and today isn't the hottest it's been!" asked Franley as he handed over the 39 petals.

The monster shrugged. "I do what I want. If I decide to help someone on a whim, then I'll help someone on a whim. There's no deeper reason behind it. Now you two have fun."

Franley smiled and thanked the monster who just nodded in return. As they walked in, they could hear someone crying behind them.

"I don't care if you don't have enough! Either get the petals, or forget it! The park has a river coursing through it. Go splash around in that," yelled the bird monster.

Franley watched as the tall pink monster led away her sobbing purple monster daughter.

"Next!" the bird yelled.

Franley felt Kent nudge him in the forearm.

"Over there. She's exposed! We need to cover her immediately," said Kent, shock in his voice as he yanked the towel from Franley and rushed over to her.

From where she was sitting, Candy looked over at Kent in a full body suit, running towards her with a towel in his hand. Happy to see him, she stood up and stretched out her arms.

"Kent!" she called happily.

His response was swaddling her in the towel, covering her from everyone else.

"Hey! What gives? It's hot," Candy pouted.

From behind Kent came Franley, walking and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're lucky I don't bend you over and spank you right now so my parents don't have to do it themselves! Candy, what the hell were you thinking wearing something like that?" shouted Franley irritably.

Candy huffed in annoyance.

"Is it so wrong for a girl to want to look sexy?" she asked.

"It is when the girl isn't old enough to even be allowed to know what sexy is!" replied Franley.

"Kent? You thought I looked good, right?" asked Candy, gazing up at the eighteen year old flame monster with puppy dog eyes.

He crossed his arms across his chest.

"Actually, Candace, you knew better than to wear something like that. I think you would have looked a lot better if you were more covered," responded Kent.

The heat rose to Candy's cheeks as the embarrassment took over.

"Listen, I'm gonna head over to the snack stand to get us some breakfast. Do you guys want anything?" asked Franley.

"I thought you were out of petals?" asked Kent.

"I am, but my mom's friend Naomi works here now. She can get me whatever I ask for," smiled Franley.

"Surprise me. Candy, you want anything?" Kent asked unamused.

"I'm fine with whatever, I don't care," replied Candy abrasively.

Nodding, Franley took his time walking over to the long line.

"So, now that we're alone...wanna tell me how you really felt seeing me in my swim suit?" slyly asked Candy.

Kent looked at her, a fire brow raised.

"What do you mean? I still don't approve. Candy, whatever you think might happen between us, it won't. You need to drop it now, before you get hurt. Find someone your own age, or wait until you're an adult before you start going after adults. Because I'm gonna let you in on a little something. Any adult that would go for you now, with you currently being a child, is a creep after for just one thing. We can still be friends and hang out, but I will never be more than just your friend," sternly explained Kent.

He sort of regretted telling her like it was, without sugar coating anything, because her eyes were watery and her lip was quivering slightly.

"Never? Not even if I were to wait until I was eighteen?" asked Candy.

Kent wanted to help make her feel a little better.

"When I look at you, I see you as my little sister since I look at Franley like my little bro. You're part of my family, so to speak. I will always love you. But not in the romantic way. If you ever need good brotherly advice, I'm here for you," softly said Kent as he pat her back gently.

Candy sniffed and nodded.

"I guess I can't force you to not look at me as just a sister and friend. It's gonna be hard for me to hang out with you now. I'll feel so embarrassed. If...if I don't want to hang out for a while, just know it's not your fault. I'll just need time to get over it," crookedly smiled Candy.

Kent wanted to protest, to tell her to keep hanging out with him and the others, but just as she can't force him to like her, he can't force her to not feel embarrassed of how she acted around him just to get shut down. He understood.

"Well alright. But keep in mind you don't have to stay away, and that you're always welcome to hang out with us," chuckled Kent.

Giggling a little, Candy stood up.

"I think...I'm gonna go home now. I need to throw away this awkward swim suit. It doesn't even feel right wearing it. I don't know when but...see ya," said Candy as she then took off running home.

Franley came back holding a box with food in it, and two sodas.

"Hey, where's she going?" asked Franley.

"Home," replied Kent.

"Oh. Did you tell her? And did she take it well?"

Kent nodded.

"Yeah. She understands now. She told me she feels embarrassed now and might not want to hang out for a while. Just until she feels better," explained Kent.

"In any case, I'm just glad things seem to be turning out okay this time around," sighed Franley as he handed a soft pretzel to Kent.

They ate in silence, sitting by the pool but unable to get in since it was still crowded. So they played hand games, Simon Says, I Spy, and other games to pass the time that Franley's last 39 petals bought them. They were actually afraid to leave early since the bird monster went out of his way to help them.

"Candy. Where did you get that awful swim suit and when? Who allowed this?" demanded Sans, his hands on his hips, and his white pupils missing.

"Ehehe, sorry dad. I was trying to impress someone. But, that someone wasn't impressed. They told me they would have been more impressed if I covered myself more. So, I think I'll just throw it away," weakly laughed Candy.

"Oh no. You're gonna do more than just throw it away. You are first going to go take a shower since you're sweaty from the sun, then, you're going to go to your room to change into clothes that actually fit and cover you, then, you are going to hand me that swim suit so I can take it somewhere no one will find it! Is that understood, young lady?" sternly said Sans.

Candy gulped and nodded. "Crystal."

Sans stepped aside and gestured towards the stairs.

"Hop to it!"


	31. Back To School Shopping

AMS

BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING

Much to Franley and Sans' relief, Candy finally moved on from her infatuation with Kent. In the meantime, all the kids hung out together again, acting as if nothing happened.

"I still can't believe the Summer is almost over. Next week is school for you kids," Kent said, reminiscing his school days.

"Oh yeah. You graduated, didn't you? Are you planning on going to college?" asked Paul.

"Haha, yep! But, not until the end of next Summer. I want just one year to relax from the daily grind. That way, I can help all you kids with your homework and whatnot!" chuckled Kent.

Franley and the others smiled. What didn't go unnoticed was when Candy blushed a bit when Paul glanced in her direction. Franley rolled his eyes, and unceremoniously pushed Candy over. She fell on to her face with a loud "oof!"

"Franley! What was that for?!" she yelled.

Candy raised a fist and was about to hit Franley until she remembered the advice Kent gave to her at the beginning of Summer. Gritting her teeth, she shakily lowered her arm with her other hand. Kent, as usual, was oblivious to what was really going on.

"Franley, why did you push her?" asked Kent, brows furrowed.

"Because. She keeps giving everyone googly eyes, and it's annoying," casually answered Franley, his hands behind his head as he tipped backwards against a tree.

"I do not! And anyway, why do you care? Are you jealous or something? You're supposed to be my brother! The adoption papers already went through, ya know," yelled back Candy, smirking.

Franley's eyes snapped open.

 _The adoption papers went through already? Maybe my parents being the King and Queen had something to do with it going through so fast._

Franley scoffed and turned over onto his side.

"Yeah right! Like I would ever like a bratty child who thinks she knows it all! You're far from my type. My type involves girls who are actually mature for their age," shot back Franley.

"I am mature for my age, kid," Candy said, sticking out her tongue.

Now it was her turn for her eyes to widen as she could not move a muscle. Franley sat up and grabbed hold of her tongue in his hand, his other hand revealing a pepper.

"You know. It's this kind of childish thing that would allow me to burn your tongue with this pepper right here, right now. But, I'm much too mature to torture you like that. You could learn a thing or two from me, dear sister," winked Franley, letting go of her tongue and dissipating his magic.

She retracted her tongue back in her mouth and glared at him.

"Wow. You guys must really care about each other if you tease each other like that. I'm so jealous. I wish I had siblings," Paul said, his head in his hands as he was laying on his belly on the green grass.

Kent silently chuckled as Candy and Franley stared at Paul like he done lost his mind.

"You want a sibling? Here. Take mine! Then, I could show her what to look for in a real man," offered Franley.

"As if! You're not even a full man! You're half boy, half monster!" pouted Candy.

"Oh would you look at that. Half monster, like you!" laughed Franley.

"Come now, children. You two should really stop now before it gets out of hand," Kent said, still chucking.

"I don't even get how him calling me a monster was supposed to be an insult. Monsters are definitely a lot nicer than humans," blandly said Candy.

"Yeah I kinda didn't think that one through," shyly admitted Franley.

Looking off into the distance, Franley could see his parents walking up to where they were. He squinted, and noticed his mom was carrying her purse with her. He groaned and laid on his back.

"What's wrong?" asked Paul.

"My parents are coming over here, and my mom is carrying her purse," lazily explained Franley.

"So? Women carry purses," asked Candy.

"My mom rarely carries her purse. She only carries it if she's about to take me clothing shopping. And since you're now part of the family, you'll be dragged along in back to school shopping," explained Franley.

Candy cocked a brow.

"Okay but how is this a bad thing?" she asked.

Paul and Kent snickered, but quickly stopped to straighten up when Candy turned to look at them.

"I'm not even gonna try to explain it. You won't believe me until you've been through it yourself," Franley said, shaking his head.

Candy looked up as the sound of walking came closer. Frisk and Sans stood over them all, smiling.

"You two ready for some back to school shopping?" asked Frisk, smiling almost as wide as her husband, Sans.

Frisk pat her trusty purse. For some reason, it made a small knot form in Candy's gut. Though she didn't know why. It was just a purse. A purse that Frisk, a woman, carries when she goes shopping. What is there to be so afraid of? Just wondering why she was even afraid, made her more afraid.

"Come on son and new daughter. It's already noon. If we hurry, you two can have some time to play before dinner time. We're going out to eat tonight. At Fuku's," said Sans.

"Really? I've always wanted to try her food!" excitedly said Candy, forgetting the former fear she felt.

Franley got up to his feet.

"Can't you just give us the money and we can go pick out our own clothes?" asked Franley.

He pleaded with his eyes. Frisk wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"What, you don't want to hang out with your cool mom and dad anymore? We hardly get enough time to bond with you, and now that Candy's in the picture, this is a great opportunity to find out what she likes so we know what kinds of things to get for her on her birthday," asked Frisk.

Franley rolled his eyes. He knows that his mom wants to know what Candy likes, but it doesn't mean that Frisk won't pick things out for them and force her likes on the kids. Dragging his feet, Franley followed after his parents. Candy was walking right next to Frisk, holding onto her hand. Franley looked up, and a thought occurred to him.

 _I wonder...can I ask my adopted sister for her hand in marriage when the time comes? Or will it be considered taboo? Would I lose support on both sides for such a thing? Or would it be seen as beautiful that not only can humans and monsters be considered family, but get along romantically as well? Only time will tell. Plus, if anything goes wrong, I have the power to redo my actions._

Candy turned her head to glance back at Franley. When he looked back up to look at her, she smiled and waved at him, causing a warm feeling to come over his heart as he smiled and waved back.

"Alright kids. We're here!" excitedly said Frisk.

Candy turned back around, expecting to see the mall in front of them, but instead found a small store.

"Clothes For Tots?" asked Candy.

Franley sadly nodded in the back at the same time Frisk and Sans did.

"It's a nice little clothing store that isn't as expensive as the mall clothing. But everything is just as stylish, if not more!" beamed Frisk.

Candy could not fathom why they couldn't just go to the mall. It's the best place to shop for clothes since there are multiple stores and it becomes an adventure. But, she decided to keep an open mind and give this small, old-looking building a chance. However, the sight on the inside made Candy want to run for the hills. The clothes inside were terrible! Every shirt had stripes on it, and each pair of pants were baggy and either brown or blue.

"Mom, can't we just go to the mall? These clothes aren't exactly gonna be welcomed by the other kids in school. In fact, we may end up being bullied," begged Candy.

Frisk cocked her head, confused.

"That's not true at all. Look at Franley," she then gestured towards her son who was wearing a blue and red striped shirt, and baggy black shorts. "We get him his clothes from here all the time. He always looks stylish, and he's never been made fun of for it. If he was, he would have said something."

That's when Candy realized what he was wearing. The kind of clothing he's wearing is so 201X, and not at all like the current styles. Just from the one day she went to school with him, she recalled the weird looks he got from the other kids. She had thought it was they were making fun of him for being half human, but that isn't the case at all! At least, that's not all of it. The rest of the reasons lie in the kind of clothing he wears.

"No one wears stripes anymore, Mom. Just from that one day I went to school with him, the kids were looking at him weird. It's because of what he is wearing," Candy said, her eyes pleading.

Frisk rolled her eyes, smiling, as she waved a hand dismissively.

"When I was a kid, all I ever wore were stripes, and look where that got me. In my honest opinion, I have no idea why no one really wears stripes anymore. It really is fashionable, and it helps to discern between the kids and young adults among crowds. Besides, I don't think it's because of his clothing that he was getting those looks. There are bullies no matter where you go, looking to tear you down for any reason. If he wasn't wearing stripes, it would be something else," explained Frisk.

"No offense, but the times from when you were a kid have changed now. The new style is in the mall. And yes, you are right that if it isn't one thing it's another, but reducing the bullies' ammo is key."

Frisk frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

"Enough, young lady! One way or the other, your school clothes are coming from here. Where the prices are right, and the clothes are nice. Now behave and let's browse the racks for your favorite colors."

Candy stayed where she was.

"No. I want the newer styles! And I bet Franley does too!" she pouted.

Frisk sighed, but didn't turn around.

"Fine. I'll pick your school outfits for you. Don't be mad if I pick some that you think are ugly, though," replied Frisk calmly.

The lack of cooperation was really ticking Candy off. She looked over to Franley, searching for something in his features, but his spirit has been broken for some time. He was obviously used to this atrocity.

"Dad. May I please have some petals?" asked Candy.

"What for?" asked Sans as he pulled some cotton candy colored striped shirts off a rack, making her shudder in disgust.

"For...a new game that's coming out soon," lied Candy.

Sans looked over, his face unreadible as he placed the pile of shirts in a cart.

"A game, huh? Why don't you wait. I'm sure Franley and his friend Kent will be getting the game once it does come out. They always do," responded Sans.

Candy cursed under her breath, and felt a limp hand on her shoulder. She turned to see it was Franley. Her strong, rebellious face fell into one of deep sorrow for the broken boy before her, whose eyes pleaded with hers, telling her to just let it happen.

"Nothing's gonna stop them from doing this, huh?" she whispered.

"Trust me. I've tried all the tricks long ago. I've exhausted every option in every run. The result is always the same," dejectedly said Franley.

That scared her to her core. She had always thought that as long as Franley had the power to load, that nothing would ever be written in stone. Taking a fearful glance at his parents, she just learned that some things are written in stone, no matter how determined you are to change some things.

"I hope you like some of these outfits, Candy. I tried my best to consider what you might like in color schemes. If there are some shirts in here that you absolutely will not wear, just put them in a bag and give the bag to me so I can return them. But it must not be more than ten shirts," said Frisk as she firmly held onto Candy's hand.

They all made it to the top of a hill, and looked down.

"There's Fuku's. Hmm, everyone looks kinda tired. How about I fly us over there?" winked Sans.

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" asked Candy boredly.

"What's the fun in making everything in other people's life easier? To go through life without too much aid is to help build character after all. Even when I was in the underground, I hardly ever used my magic unless my life depended on it. And here I see so many monster kids using and abusing their magic. It just makes me shake my head, wondering how they would ever survive without it. Even my own son uses his magic just to make things easier, rather than using it for protection. Ah well. That's the newer generation for ya. Anyway, here we go."

With that, Sans lifted them all off the ground with ease and floated them over to Fuku's, eliciting small gasps from monsters below who made way for the royal family to land.

"Sorry for breaking the line formation. We'll step back to the end of the line," apologized Frisk.

"Oh no your Majesty! The royal family should always be first. After all, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be able to enjoy the sun and change of weather on the surface," said a monster among the group.

Nods and murmurs of agreement came from the crowd, and Frisk was smiling and wiping away tears of happiness.

"Thank you all so much. You are all too kind. Come children. Let us make haste so that these nice monsters can come in. To repay you all, I will be buying your ways in," said Frisk, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers of gratitude.

Candy, starstruck, was led in the restaurant by her hand as she looked out among the happy crowd.

 _So this is how the others treat Mom. I didn't think she would be treated this nicely since Franley's being treated normally all the time. So then, do they treat Dad the same way they treat Mom?_

She noticed Franley looked a tad jealous of his parents.

"You two stay here at the table while your mother and I go back to the front to pay for that crowd," ordered Sans.

"Franley? What's wrong?" Candy asked, placing her hand on his head which was on the table.

He picked his head up, sighing while keeping his head held up with one hand.

"Mom and Dad get so much love and respect from everyone they come across, while I get treated poorly by my peers. Even you don't respect me. I just wonder why I can't get treated like my parents do. The adults don't pick on me, or glare at me, but they treat me like I'm a kid who doesn't know any better. Or worse, some adults think I have everything handed to me, so they talk to me like I can't understand what majority of them are going through. But the truth is, I do understand! I understand so well, that it drives me insane when I'm told I don't understand. My whole existence is to one day bring peace between humans and monsters. How can I do that if everyone looks at me like I don't know what I'm doing?" asked Franley.

 _Whoa. I completely forgot about him being a Prince of monsters. He definitely has a lot on his plate. I think I forgot, because somehow, despite everything, he still smiles._

"Things just seem like they won't get better now. But hopefully things will work out as time goes by," responded Candy, smiling a small smile at Franley.

She thought he would smile back and agree with her. But all he did was groan at her and his pout deepened.

"Great. You are more mature than I am. I'm the Prince of disaster, Candy. Why am I even here? Why was I brought to existence in the first place if I'm not meant to be taken seriously?"

He put his head back down on the table. For the first time since Candy met him, she felt for him. She felt bad for his whole situation, and she wanted to help him.

 _Hmmm._

"Franley. Did you ever come up with some plan to one day unite humans and monsters?" asked Candy.

Franley's head snapped up.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, looking away and blushing.

Candy inched closer, her hands on the table.

"Well what is it? Tell me. Maybe I can help you with your plans," offered Candy.

"Uhhh, I don't know. It might be a lousy plan," answered Franley as his blush grew.

Candy placed her hand on his hand, causing Franley to close his eyes and gulp.

"Please?" she pleaded.

"Well, okay. What's the worse that could happen?" he laughed nervously. "My plan was to one day marry a human girl, as well as a monster girl, and have children with both of them. That way, everyone on both sides could see how well humans and monsters could get along, and be one happy family. And of course, I would love both women with all my heart and soul, and would do my best to be there for both of them, the children, and my subjects."

Candy was surprised, to say the least. She didn't think Franley would have come up with such a plan like that. She thought his plan would have been less thought out, more rash, and more childish. But this plan, it seemed like he had thought of almost everything.

"Then what if I helped you find the right human girl? We should tell Kent your plan so he can use his brains to help too. Franley, you won't be alone in this," reassured Candy.

Franley yanked his hand away.

"What if I want to do this on my own? I want to prove to myself and others that I'm capable of making the tough yet right decisions on my own," said Franley.

Normally, Candy would have gotten all pissed off at his selfishness. But he was rarely ever selfish with her or with anyone, that this struck a cord in her.

 _This is just his silly man pride, getting in the way of reason._

"Alright. But will you promise me something?" she asked, her voice small.

He sighed a long sigh. "What is it?"

"If anything goes wrong, please load, and ask me and your friends for help. After all, I am the Princess of all monsters now," said Candy, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.

Franley looked over at her. One way or the other, she was always going to be destined to rule over the monsters with him. He looked her in the eye and nodded.

"I promise."


	32. Paul's New Girlfriend

AMS

PAUL'S NEW GIRLFRIEND

Throughout the rest of the last week of Summer, and through the first week of school, Franley had to endure his "sister" ogling at Paul.

 _What's with her? I stopped her from going after Kent and now she's after Paul? Granted, he is younger than Kent, but that doesn't make it okay! If I'm being completely honest with myself, I don't want her with anyone other than me. Even if that means she will never see me romantically, but I can cut off any relationships she may try to persue. Maybe that's a bit harsh but I don't care. She's mine and no one else's._

"Franley?" a faraway voiced asked. It wasn't enough to break Franley's focus on his inner thoughts.

"Prince Franley Dreemurr!"

Franley blinked and swiveled his head over to the voice calling him.

 _Oh. It's my teacher._

"Y-yes, ?" asked Franley, feeling his face go slightly pink from the classmates snickering.

The teacher narrowed his black eyes and one of his tentacles held up a book.

"I see you're the only one in class who doesn't have his book out. Care to explain what has been happening in your head that is clearly so much more interesting than learning about natural environments and temperature changes?" hissed .

Franley's blush deepened.

"Ooh looks like it was something juicy," sneered a classmate.

Franley turned to see who said that, and his frown deepened. It was that monster girl he used to have a crush on, the one who made him feel awkward for accidentally getting sweat on her. That day, he was so humiliated. She smirked at him, waving each of her fingers at him as she licked her lips. He shuddered. Whatever he used to see in her, it's all been replaced by revulsion and disgust. She can wear all the sparkly clothes in the world, and he will see her as a slimy, disgusting creature.

"Well?" 's booming voice broke through the tension, catching his attention again.

"Absolutely nothing was going through my head sir. I just hadn't gotten enough sleep. Been trying to adjust to the school schedule again," expertly lied Franley.

His teacher's glare softened in understanding.

"Alright, son. I promise to give you more time to adjust. Just please try to pay attention in class. It's your freshman year! You gotta make a deep impact on your studies!" inspirationally said , complete with him shaking his fist in the air for dramatic tension.

"Thank you, sir. I promise to try harder," thanked Franley.

He looked at Candy out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't even paying attention to Franley and all that just happened. She's been too busy reading through the textbook, taking color coded notes. Something to be expected, as well as the smile spread on her face, making her light up like an angel. She's always wanted to be in school after all, and she finally got what she wanted. He smiled.

 _Guess I should pay attention too. I mean, even if I tried talking to her during class through notes, no doubt she would just glare at me and tell me to shut up when she's trying to study._

Grabbing the textbook from under the top of his desk, he flipped open to the page they were on, and followed along, taking notes of his own which looked like crap compared to Candy's. Everyone's favorite time came at last.

"Lunch time already! I'm starving!" gleefully cheered Candy as she picked up her school supplies.

Franley noticed she was wearing one of the shirts that his mom and dad bought for her. Lime green, soft pink, and white striped shirt with faded blue jeans, and brown boots. Plus, her luscious hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she was wearing light blue eyeshadow and soft pink lip gloss.

"You know, I didn't tell you yet. But, you look really nice, sis," blushed Franley, poking her arm.

She smiled up at him, flashing her pearly whites.

"Thanks, bro! You look nice too!" she exchanged.

He was never going to like being called bro by her, but he had to stay determined. The two grabbed trays and stood in line next to each other, holding their empty trays. To pass the time, they joked around with each other and played I Spy until finally, they could get their lunches. Franley had shown her the good food to pick, which was a chicken wrap and a side salad. None of the milk was any good today, so he had her grab an apple juice carton.

"Hello, you two! Wow! I still think it's neat how you two started off as friends and now you're siblings. Reminds me of something I learned from history class when I grew up in the underground. What was it again? Ah, yes. Queen Toriel and King Asgore had a son together, Asriel Dreemurr. Then, a human fell underground and they adopted the human into their family. I forgot the human's name though," smiled the lunch lady monster.

Candy cocked a brow. "So, you remember all the monster's names, but not the human's? Seems legit."

"Oh no! I didn't mean to forget the human's name! I'm just an old monster whose mind is slowly going, is all."

"Well, lucky for you, I know who the human was," intervened Franley.

Every monster around turned to look at him expectantly.

"You do? Who was the human that the old King and Queen took in?" asked a monster.

 _You've all seen him before and made fun of me for talking to him._

"His name was Chara. My uncle," said Franley, hiding any irritation in his voice.

Gasps all around were heard.

"No way! But that would mean...aw man!" said Jock Jr.

Franley smiled and winked at them.

"Well, now you know. Hopefully you make the right choices from here on out," chuckled Franley.

"Thank you for telling us who the human was. Chara Dreemurr. Yep! I remember now!" smiled the lunch lady.

Franley nodded as he pulled out petals and handed them to the lunch lady, which Candy stopped by shoving her arm between them.

"What's wrong, Candy? Not hungry?" joked Franley.

Candy scowled and turned to face the lunch lady.

"The Prince of all monsters shouldn't have to pay for anything! He is going to unite humans and monsters one day, so the rest of you should be treating him with the respect he deserves!" demanded Candy.

The lunch lady didn't know how to respond to this sudden outburst from the new human princess, so she stayed quiet, and pressed a button, paging the Queen herself. Again, the monsters around them all stopped to see how this would play out. Franley could feel sweat forming at his temples. He harshly grabbed her arm and yanked her close to him as he stared down into her soul, warning her.

"Be a good princess, and allow me to pay for our school lunches. We only have fifty minutes to eat, and after that we need to be in our next class before the bell rings, and I don't have control over my shortcut power yet," whispered Franley through gritted teeth.

Candy frowned and harshly yanked her arm back from his grip, or at least she tried, but somehow, he was far much stronger than she was. When did that happen, she wondered.

"As the Prince, you should be treated better than all these monsters. You're their Prince, not their peer!" she demanded.

"I see your point, but until I take over as their King, they technically can treat me however they want. I can deal with them after I accept the crown. So please, as their Princess, stop making scenes," responded Franley.

His everyday bullies started to feel anxious, knowing that Franley would one day be their King. It definitely got them all thinking. Moments later, Frisk came in, wearing a long red, blue, purple, and white gown.

"What's going on here?" she asked.

The lunch lady bowed.

"I'm sorry your Highness, but the Princess had a disagreement with the Prince, so I thought I would call you to handle it since it's not my place to interfere," explained the lady.

Frisk walked up to her children, her brows raised.

"What the heck are you two doing, having an argument? What is this all about?" asked Frisk, placing her hands on her hips.

Franley let go of Candy's arm which she quickly yanked away and tucked it close to her body. She sighed.

"It's fine, mom. Franley and I talked it out," said Candy.

"Actually, it's not alright. I was yanked out of a very important meeting because of you two!" yelled Frisk, causing Candy and Franley to wince. It was a rare event whenever Frisk raised her voice. "So tonight, both of you are to refrain from TV and video games. I'm going to talk to your last teacher into assigning you both a little extra homework to keep you both busy so you don't get bored."

Candy wanted to protest, as did Franley, but they bit their tongues.

 _I hope Candy learned from this to just let things be._

But the fire behind her eyes told him she wasn't done yet. He sighed as he handed the lunch lady the petals. She weakly smiled at them as Franley placed a hand on the small of Candy's back, leading her to the table that was being occupied by Paul and some girl.

"Hey, who's that with Paul?" asked Candy.

Looking up, the color drained from Franley's face.

"Son of a-"

"Well hello, Prince Franley. Nice of you to bring your pet to school. She's a cutie," smirked the mean, monster girl who wore sparkly clothes.

Candy scrunched up her nose in distaste, and she turned to Franley.

"Who's this nobody?" asked Candy, making the sparkly monster hiss.

"Ugh. This is Sandy. Before I met you, I had a crush on her, but she's nothing more than a materialistic snake who manipulates others to get what she wants," blandly explained Franley, his cool and icy gaze on Sandy, his arm over Candy's shoulders protectively. Paul stood up and slammed his hands on the table, glaring at Franley. Franley looked at him in shock.

"Don't talk that way about my new girlfriend! Just because she didn't want to be with you doesn't mean she's evil! Geez, self centered much?" accused Paul.

Candy stepped towards Paul, her face a mixture of confusion and anger as she points a finger at him.

"And what makes you think you're so special to talk to the Prince any old way you want? Remember this. Once he becomes King, he can make your life a living hell if he sees fit. Don't forget your place, you simpleton," growled Candy.

Franley placed a hand on Candy's shoulder, shaking his head.

"I would never do that to any of my subjects. However, she does have a point in speaking to me, or anyone, like that. It's very unlike you," said Franley.

Paul's mouth twitched in annoyance as he pulled Sandy closer to him.

"I am very protective by nature, in case you haven't noticed. I have protected you before, and I will protect my girl now. Even from you, my best friend. If you want to continue to be my friend, then you better get used to Sandy being around," threatened Paul.

Franley looked at the clock and sighed.

"Sit down, Candy. We only have thirty minutes to eat now," advised Franley.

The three ate their food in silence, Sandy going on and on about how she just loves being Paul's girlfriend.

"He gets me whatever I want, when I ask for it. He's such a good man," gushed Sandy.

Candy growled in the back of her throat everytime Sandy said something. Franley thought it was because Candy had been crushing on Paul for a while, but a part of him told him that wasn't the case.

 _Could she see what I'm talking about? Sandy is a witch, no doubt about it. Can Candy see through her little act after all?_

And she could see through her act. Candy and her family have been out in public many times before, and she witnessed firsthand what expert liars say and do around others to appear normal and lovely. In public, her mother held her in her arms and gushed about how much she loved her little girl, her brother would also hug her and compliment her appearance, and that man who she thought was her dad would ruffle her hair and smile at her. She knows a fake smile and gesture when she sees one, and she knows a fake compliment and laugh when she hears one. She was extremely frustrated that Paul couldn't sense any of her bull crap.

 _Remember Candy, not everyone is as perceptive as you. You were constantly around bull crap, so you know how to detect it. Paul grew up around genuine monsters. He can't sense anything because of it._

As soon as Candy finished the last of her side salad and apple juice, Franley collected her tray and placed them on a counter so the lunch monsters could collect and clean them. He then grabbed her hand and started hurrying down the hallways, and ran up the stairs to the ninth floor. Just as the bell rang, they stepped into their classroom.

 _Phew! We made it. Only two more classes and then we can go home._

"Just made it. Go ahead, take your seats. We're on page eight today, second paragraph," said their teacher, .

She's a squid teacher, but the color lime green with purple spots on her tentacles. Franley and Candy nodded and took their seats. Candy immediately took out a notebook, her five differently colored gel pens, and began taking notes on the subject. Franley decided to do the same thing. Halfway through the class time, the teacher told them they had the rest of the period to themselves to do whatever they wanted. Franley had expected Candy to want to keep taking notes on her own as he laid his head down, but Candy's soft "psst" made his head snap back up and look at her.

"What is it? I thought you would want to keep taking notes or something," asked Franley.

"Normally I would, since I love taking notes. But, that Sandy monster, she bothers me. And not for the reasons you think! But you see, I know a two faced bitch when I see one, thanks to my blood family," whispered Candy, her brows furrowed.

Franley widened his eyes, his brows raised into his hairline in surprise.

"I see. Well, there's not really anything we can do except to let Paul see for himself what she's like. At this point, if we try to do anything, we'll only end up getting on his bad side and getting ourselves hurt. Some things are out of our control," whispered back Franley.

Candy huffed and tapped her fingers on her desk in thought.

"But there's gotta be something we can do to speed up the process of him finding out. Maybe we can sabotage their dates or something?" suggested Candy.

Franley thought about it.

"But how would we even know where they're going?" asked Franley.

"Maybe they'll let us tag along on their dates? You're his best friend, so just say that you would like for him and his girlfriend to have some quality bonding time with us," said Candy.

Franley blushed.

 _A double date. She doesn't realize that she practically asking me on a date with her, I've gotta take this opportunity! Kill two birds with one stone._

"I'll see what I can do," smirked Franley.


	33. Double Date Disaster

AMS

DOUBLE DATE DISASTER

"Okay. I talked to Paul, and he agreed to have a double date. He said the spot is going to be at the mall," explained Franley to Candy in their room.

Candy cringed while her face turned red.

"Except it's not a double date. It's a hang out where we sabotage them," grumbled Candy.

Franley shrugged.

"Double date is just a lot less words to describe it. But whatever floats your boat. Anyway, we should change out of our school clothes and into some nice clothes. We don't want Sandy to out shine us," said Franley.

Candy raised an eyebrow. She was sure there was something going on with Franley since he was acting weird, but decided he was just nervous to be sabotaging his best friend's relationship even though it will be to Paul's benefit. Franley pulled on a red long sleeve shirt, new blue jeans, and his black shoes. Candy pulled on a pink dress and put over it a fuzzy, black half jacket to keep her shoulders warm since the mall had air conditioning, then put on black flats after pulling on light brown tights to keep her legs warm.

"You look nice," complimented Franley, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Thanks. It's the mall, so I'm bound to either meet really cute monster boys, or catch Paul's attention and lure him away from Sandy," winked Candy.

Franley's smile disappeared as he dabbed some cologne on his neck.

"You just had to ruin it," Franley said, shaking his head.

Folding her arms and glaring at him, she asked him what the hell he meant.

"You're always flirting with someone! You never take a break and just be single, like you're supposed to do. Are you trying to get taken advantage of?" asked Franley, raising his voice slightly.

"I'm not trying to do anything other than be loved by someone!" shouted Candy.

"You're only nine!"

"I won't be when it's January! So suck on that, brat!"

"No! You're the brat for constantly throwing yourself at everyone!"

She couldn't control her reflexes when she smacked him across the face. His hair that he spent a little bit combing into a specific part came undone. All he did was shockingly turn back to face her, but he was even more shocked that Candy's eyes were wide open, staring at her open palm like it was an alien. Without thinking, Franley pulled her against him and pressed his lips on hers, further sending her into a deeper state of shock. After a second of processing things, she tried to pull away, but that only made Franley deepen the kiss as he pressed his tongue into her open mouth and explored every inch of her mouth. This action made her eyes half lidded, and soon, she relaxed in his grip. When he pulled away finally, she could only flutter her eyes as if she was having trouble waking up.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked tiredly.

"To mark you as mine. You're my sister now, and I have to approve of the monster you want to be with before you go on any date with anyone. I take it that was your first kiss?"

Candy gasped, covering her mouth.

"You...you stole my first kiss! I didn't even think about it at first. But why? You're my brother!" she cried.

Franley quickly came up with a lie.

"Monster siblings mark each other somehow to protect them when they start trying to search for a companion. It's just how it is. There are many ways to mark a sibling. I just chose the non violent way," fluidly lied Franley.

All she could do was touch her lips with her fingertips, still remembering his warmth wrapped around her. She wanted more of it, but shook her head.

 _Don't be stupid. It was just your older brother being protective and marking you. Don't be getting attached to him just because of one kiss._

"Come on, we're gonna be late," Franley ushered her out the door.

Frisk and Sans looked up from their dinner.

"Where are you two going? It's already starting to get dark around seven. Look. It's six now," pointed out Frisk.

"Her and I are gonna hang out with Paul and his new girlfriend at the mall. We'll eat dinner there. And mom, you really shouldn't be worried about us. I have the power of determination. And unlike you, I'm actually careful not to get into sticky situations," said Franley.

Frisk scoffed offendedly and stared her son down.

"Franley, why did you disrespect your mother like that?" asked Sans, his voice threatening to get stern.

For some reason Franley wasn't afraid.

"I wasn't being disrespectful. I was just telling her the differences between her old self and I. Of course I know she isn't the same little kid anymore. Mom is definitely a lot more cautious and strategizes more, and is the ideal Queen for the monsters," replied Franley.

Candy wasn't sure how he could bounce back from disrespecting his mother like that, but his current compliments seemed to work as his mother's fury was replaced with a smile of warmth.

"Well, he does have a point, Sans. As long as they come back before midnight, I don't see why they can't be kids and have fun. But Franley, do refrain from making fun of who I used to be from now on. It was uncalled for," softly said Frisk, an unspoken danger behind her eyes.

Franley picked up on it, but it did not faze him. Nothing would faze Franley. Not as long as he could simply bring time back, and literally stop himself and others from permanent death. Sans' hard expression did not soften, once. He had an idea of what was going on with his son. It was the same thing that happened with Frisk. Just before she decided to experiment and do genocide.

 _I swear, if my son starts killing everyone, I don't know what I'd do. I would have to kill him over and over again until he rage quits or until he gets past me and realizes killing everyone is pointless._

"Sans, if it ever comes down to where he starts experimenting, do not fight against him. The two things that addicted me to keep killing during that time was the fact that you and Undyne gave me a worthy challenge. If you don't put up a fight, he will get bored sooner than later," whispered Frisk.

"How'd you know I was thinking of that?" asked Sans.

Frisk smiled.

"You're my husband, and that is our son. You're not the only one who knows him and constantly compares him to my old self," replied Frisk.

"Mm, can I possibly be your guardian tonight and discipline you?" Sans asked, his voice a low rumble.

Candy couldn't get the feeling of Franley's lips off hers, no matter how much she prodded at her lips with her fingers, vainly trying to rub the feeling off. But it would be there. Possible forever. Or at least, for a very long time. Franley knows that the feeling of monster kisses lingers for a few months. Since Candy was an open book with her feelings at this point, he would be able to tell when the feeling wears off. Once it does wear off, he will just plant another kiss on her. Not that he's complaining or anything. He would have marked her sooner, but they weren't close enough yet.

"Hey Miss zones out a lot. We're here," Franley said, rolling his eyes and nudging her head.

"Why won't the feeling disappear?" asked Candy, slightly panicked, slightly annoyed.

"That's how monster kisses work. The feeling lasts," replied Franley.

"Forever?!" she squeaked.

"No, not forever. But for a while," said Franley, smirking at how cute she was being, freaking out over a kiss.

"But how does it last this long anyway?"

"Monsters, and me, have magic in our souls, and therefore, our bodies are filled with magic. In my saliva, is my magical essence. Monsters have to create saliva if they want their kisses to last. This mark will let other monsters be able to smell that you've been marked, and they will be cautious of you. You can be mad at me all you want, but know that no matter what you do, I will still be around to protect you," matter of factly said Franley.

Candy huffed and crossed her arms.

"But to have my own brother kiss me is disgusting," sadly grouched Candy.

Franley chuckled.

"We're not really brother and sister though, so it's okay."

Candy looked up at him, and he expected anger or shock. But he didn't anticipate the look on her face that looked like he had stabbed her in the back.

"W-what's wrong?" asked Franley.

"I thought you had accepted me into your family by now. But, if all you see when you look at me is just a human to be friends with, then maybe I was wrong in considering you to being my family," sniffed Candy.

"Candy, I didn't mean it like that! It's not that I don't see you as part of my family, I just don't see you as my sister. But, I see you as something else. Something better," reassured Franley.

Candy chuckled bitterly.

"Like what? Why can't I be your sister?" asked Candy.

"It's something a little bit different. Something I'm sure you wouldn't accept me for, so I won't tell you. Not yet anyway," sighed Franley.

Now Candy was curious.

"Wait. You're afraid I won't accept you if you tell me what you think of me? Fine. I won't ask for specifics, but do you or do you not accept me into your family? I would prefer if you tell me the truth. If you don't, I won't run away or cause problems," offered Candy.

Looking around the food court, he spotted Paul and Sandy.

"I do accept you into my family. It's all I've ever wanted, honestly," truthfully answered Franley.

 _Just not in the way I wanted you to be part of my family, but it will change in the future._

Paul had looked up from his girlfriend and noticed Franley staring intently and warmly at his adopted sister. Paul narrowed his eyebrows.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Sandy.

"Franley is looking at his adopted sister in a way that most couples would look at each other with. I mean, I know that siblings are supposed to love each other and maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it doesn't sit right with me," whispered Paul.

Sandy's eyes gleamed with devilish intentions.

 _The freak likes his adopted sister? Wow. He's even more of a freak than I realized! Willing to keep it in the family._

"You know, he is kind of a freak. I mean, his mom was adopted by King Sans when she was a kid. I heard the story. So it really wouldn't surprise me if he took after his mother and had fallen for his adopted sister," Sandy said, her voice rich like silk and filled with evil intentions.

Paul's eyes widened.

"What? You mean that was true? I never believed it because of how close in age they are," asked Paul.

"They're good friends with Alphys. It wouldn't surprise me if Alphys was able to de age Sans to make their relationship work," smirked Sandy.

That's what made Paul nearly throw up.

 _How can Frisk, Sans, and Franley be so sick in the head to fall for family members? I mean, yeah they're not blood related, but when you adopt someone, they become part of your family!_

Sandy was enjoying herself now, since she realized that she didn't have to make anything up to bury Franley. He dug the ditch himself while all she had to do was push him in. Franley and Candy showed up at the table, smiling at them.

"Hey. We'll be right back with some food. You okay, man? Was the food not good to eat?" asked Franley, concerned for his friend.

"N-no. The food was the best sister, I mean food, I ever ate!" shakily said Paul, clutching his abdomen.

Sandy smirked at him. That smirk told a million things at once without her saying a word. Franley could already tell she's started to try and tear him and Paul apart.

"Did you save?" asked Candy.

"Just before we came into the mall, I did," nodded Franley.

"I have a feeling Sandy started a lie based on the fact we were talking to each other," whispered Candy, her expression glaring at the back of Sandy's head.

"I think you're right. Because until then, she literally had no ammo to use against me since Paul knows everything about me. We unknowingly gave her ammo."

They nodded then headed in the direction of the MTT EX Restaurant where they ordered new and improved Glamburgers. Instead of glue and sequins on the burgers, they used food sparkle decorations, a new invention made by Alphys. It healed a lot more HP because of this improvement.

"I'll have a couple glamburgers please. Candy, what do you want?"

"How big are the legendary heroes?" asked Candy.

Franley used his arms to show her how long one was.

"I'll have one of those then, please," smiled Candy.

Sandy whispered in Paul's ear.

"I bet you she asked him how big he is, and he just lied to her," she whispered, making Paul freak out even more than he already was.

At this point, Paul was unable to use logic to determine that that was false. He believed everything Sandy said because she's his first girlfriend ever, and he would rather believe her than lose her. They came back to the table, each holding trays of food.

"Thanks for getting me an extra treat. I've always wanted to try to starfeit," thanked Candy.

"No problem, little sis," replied Franley.

He and Candy decided to act as siblingly as possible.

"Franley!" Paul shouted out of no where.

Franley looked up at Paul while chewing on his glamburger.

"Yeah dude?" he asked.

"Why? Why are you trying to get with your sister?" he asked, pointing a finger at Candy who was cocking her eyebrow while sipping her starfeit.

Franley had prepared himself for this, so he willed himself not to blush.

"I'm not. I've never had a sister before, and I just want to do my best at being a good brother," replied Franley.

"By showing her how big you are?" he angrily whispered, making Franley and Candy choke on their food.

"I asked him how big the legendary hero sandwiches were before I decided on whether or not to order more than one. He showed me how big the sandwich is so I decided on one you idiot! Who the hell is feeding you this nonsense?" raspily asked Candy as she caught her breath.

Sandy glared at Candy.

"That would be me, little girl. I know what I saw. You can't lie your way out of it. Your brother is hitting on you, whether you believe it or not," said Sandy.

Franley wished she was lying about him hitting on her. Without warning, Candy reached across the table and yanked Sandy forward.

"I will end you, bitch!" growled Candy.

Sandy hadn't expected a nine year old to be so strong or act so violently. She couldn't let it shake her though. She would remain cool and calm. However, Franley pulled Candy off her.

"What are you doing?! I need to teach that sicko a lesson!" thrashed Candy.

"Sis, it would look bad on humans if you started attacking her," explained Franley. "As much as I want her to pay for the things she has accused me of tonight, I will be the bigger person, and wait until I gain the crown. Once I do, then I can put her in a dungeon fit for sickos."

Sandy scoffed.

"Put me in a dungeon all you want! I know that once your little sister becomes eighteen, you will marry her, which will prove me right! Before, I was just making it up, trying to start lies. But seeing you now, I know in my heart how you really feel about her! It's written all over your face."

 _Shiiiit. She found me out! Only one thing to do._

"Candy. Use your pent up anger to kill me," instructed Franley.

The only one who didn't gasp and stare at him incredulously was Candy.

"Why do you need to load, Franley? Don't tell me Sandy's right," asked Paul, standing up.

Franley looked Paul in the eye.

"I do love her more than a sister. But none of you understand that it's okay. Because, we're not blood related," answered Franley.

Candy stepped back, and touched her bottom lip.

"You see me in _that_ way?" she softly asked in shock.

"See?! I'm not lying to you! Candy, if you need somewhere to stay away from him, you can come stay with me," offered Sandy.

Franley snapped his head up, anger in his eyes. He saw Sandy looking at Candy with sympathy. What? She could feel feelings? Franley stepped forward and glared into Sandy.

"Kill me. Now," he ordered.

Sandy's face scrunched up.

"Why?! Do you want me to go to prison?"

"Nothing will happen to you. Just kill me. If you don't I will kill myself."

Sandy shakily picked up a steak knife that she used for her steak in the shape of Mettaton's face. She held it for a while before she grabbed Franley's hand and placed the knife in his hand.

"As much as I think you're weird and disgusting, I can't do it," she muttered just clear enough for him to understand.

Franley sighed and closed his eyes.

"I understand."

Sandy, thinking he wouldn't do it, shrieked when he plunged the knife in through his heart.

"Guh! Darn, I'm not as reckless as my mother used to be, so I'm not quite familiar with the pain of dying. Ha...ha...ha," choked out Franley.

Sandy covered her eyes as she continued to scream while shaking her head back and forth. Even Candy wasn't used to seeing Franley bleed to death. By now the whole mall was in a state of shock and panic.

"Darn. I'm not dying fast enough, and the pain is unbearable," grunted Franley as he fell to the ground.

To try and quicken his death, he pulled the knife out, and plunged it back in again and again until he struck an artery and blood spurted out from his body. The pain was nothing like he could remember as he slowly felt energy leaving his body. His vision slowly blurred until he saw nothing. Eventually, his options appeared before him, and he selected load.


	34. Let's Try Again

AMS

LET'S TRY AGAIN

Even though Franley had loaded his save file, he could still feel where the knife had been. It was faint, but it was there. Candy didn't notice he was feeling his chest since she was too focused on touching her lips in awe.

"Uh, hey. Looks like they're over there," Franley dazedly pointed out.

Candy snapped out of it and looked over to the table where Sandy and Paul were sitting at. Sandy was glaring at them subtly. Franley couldn't catch it, but Candy could see the venom clear as day. Not wanting to make a repeat of last time, Franley and Candy began walking forward.

"Whatever you do, don't get physical or show any negative emotions. She feeds off that sort of thing. In the end, it will just give her ammo against us," whispered Franley.

Candy nodded. She learned to just listen to Franley's advice. She also learned that he only gives thought out advice when he has most likely loaded.

 _Guess I'll have to swallow my pride for his sake. I don't know what transpired last time, but he knows._

Both putting on smiles, they cheerily waved at the new couple.

"Hey guys. Give us a sec please. I have to buy us some food to eat. We'll be right back," casually said Franley.

"Take your time," yawned Sandy.

"Yeah no rush. We'll be here when you get back," smiled Paul.

Nodding, Franley signaled for Candy to follow him.

"Ooh, I wanna try MTT EX food! Ever since I was exposed to her shows, I hadn't been able to get enough. She's like, my hero!" squealed Candy.

Franley couldn't help but smile. She was starting to act like a real kid for once. Little by little, her walls were coming down.

 _Snap out of it! You can't afford to stare at her like that. It will just give Sandy ammo._

Steeling his features, he walked up to the restaurant with her and let her order what she wanted, and then he ordered what he wanted as well as surprised her with a starfait.

"A starfait?!" Candy asked, and then gasped in surprise. She looked up at him with a guilty expression. "You didn't have to..."

Franley waved her guilt off and gave her a thumbs up.

"You're my little sister. I gotta spoil you every now and then," reassured Franley.

Candy wanted to hug him, but he gave her a look that warned her. She wasn't sure why he was warning her, but she had a strong hunch it had something to do with Sandy since she's always been allowed to hug him and vice versa. But since she couldn't get her mind off that kiss from earlier, her mind was in a tizzy. Even though he had said it was his way of marking her to keep others away from her, she couldn't help but remember how tender the kiss had been. Almost as if he was pouring his emotions into it. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of it.

 _He's my brother! But...he's not my brother. Could I be viewing him as a man? His birthday is in a few months. In three years, he will be sixteen. Technically a young adult man. But when he is sixteen, I will just be turning thirteen._

"Princess?" worriedly asked Burgerpants.

Franley smiled at the young teen monster nicknamed Burgerpants. He almost laughed as he remembered the original Burgerpants that's still underground because of how crazy it is that these two completely different monsters ended up getting the same nickname.

"Huh? Oh. Thank you," Candy said, still in a daze.

"Yo, little buddy. Is she okay?" asked Burgerpants.

"She's fine. She just daydreams a lot. Overactive imagination," chuckled Franley as he took his tray of food and payed Burgerpants for the food which he put in a cash register, handing Franley back some petals.

"Ah. I see," nodded Burgerpants.

"Hey, what's it like working for Mettaton EX?" asked Candy starry eyed.

Burgerpants II looked at her before getting visibly excited someone asked that question.

"She's amazing to work for! She gives me a schedule to refer to, calls me to check up on me before my shift, gives me reasonable hours, the pay is above average so that really helps me save up for college. But above all else? She's really freakin hot! Although, I've heard rumors from the middle aged folk about how they miss Mettaton NEO, which, I don't know who that is. But apparently it was Alphys' first ever robotic TV star before Mettaton EX."

"Mettaton NEO?" she asked scratching the top of her head.

"We'll have to talk about that later. Our friends are waiting for us. See ya around Burgerpants. Glad you're happy working for Mettaton EX," waved Franley.

Burgerpants tipped his hat and smiled. They got back to the table, and they both knew Sandy would try to start crap one way or the other.

"So. I see the Queen has got you into wearing boring old striped clothes," blandly stated Sandy, twirling her hair with her finger while her face showed clear disgust.

Candy nearly choked on her starfait. She withdrew her mouth from the straw and covered her mouth with her fist as she coughed into it.

"Uh, well, I tried telling her stripes weren't in style, but she insisted. Trust me. If it were up to Franley and I, we would be wearing the newer styles," replied Candy, Franley nodding in agreement beside her.

Sandy perked up as a smile formed on her lips.

"It seems the Prince is always given petals. Why can't he just get the both of you the clothes you really desire?" asked Sandy.

"Hey yeah! You guys could just get the clothes you want if you take petals from the basement. I know that's where your parents are growing the currency," added Paul.

"There are many reasons why we can't do that. For one, not wearing the clothes our mother bought us would break her heart and make our lives hell. Two, even though we're the Prince and Princess, it would be wrong for us to steal petals that we did not have permission to take. And three, I'm given just enough petals to just get us food when we're out," explained Franley.

Sandy rolled her eyes.

"If I was royalty, I would have been doing what I wanted, regardless of the consequences. Plus. Don't you have some kind of power that lets you reverse time?" asked Sandy.

Franley nodded.

 _Of course you would be dumb to do what you wanted._

"But I try not to use that power as much as I can. I only use it in emergency situations. My mother, when she had the power, misused it and became corrupted for a while until she got it under control. I don't wish to become corrupted," said Franley, taking a bite of his glamburger.

Candy moaned in delight as she drank her starfait. Sandy chuckled.

"What?" asked Candy.

"Enjoying that starfait?" smirked Sandy.

"Yes, actually," beamed Candy. "It has so many good flavors in it! Banana, cherry, and blue raspberry! It's a nice mix of sweet and tangy."

"You didn't eat the star yet," pointed out Sandy.

Candy looked at the yellow star, and picked it up.

"I thought it was just a decoration piece," shrugged Candy.

"Nope. It's lemon flavored," replied Sandy.

Candy looked at Paul and Franley for their approval. Paul nodded and Franley smiled. Deciding it was safe to believe her, she popped the yellow star into her mouth, and her mouth twisted up and tears welled up in her eyes.

"It's so sour!" she squealed, frantically waving air at her face.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that. Sorry," smirked Sandy.

"I honestly never knew the star was sour. This is my second time having a starfait. The first time I had one, my dad stole the star. He didn't show any signs of it being sour, so I thought it was sweet," Franley said, sweating.

"I never had a starfait, but I had seen others eat the star. They all reacted the same way King Sans did," added Paul.

Candy swallowed the star, not wanting to feel it burning her mouth anymore, and she gulped the rest of her starfait down. She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I think that's how the starfait is meant to be consumed. Eat the star first, and then drink the beverage because the drink soothes your mouth," said Candy, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

"Yep," nodded Sandy.

Sandy didn't know why, but she was starting to sincerely like Candy.

"Say. I feel bad that you have to wear stripes. Want me to get you new clothes? It would definitely help you fit in," nonchalantly offered Sandy to Candy.

Candy looked up at her in surprise.

 _She sounded sincere! There was no hint of malice or sarcasm in her offer._

"Would you also be willing to buy new clothes for my big bro? Because if you won't, then don't worry about it," asked Candy.

Sandy inwardly frowned, though her face remained unreadable as she pondered it.

 _I don't want to see her being seen as the weird, unfashionable human. Besides, she's our Princess now, and she's actually down to earth and pretty cool. A lot nicer than my parents and so called friends._

"Fine. I will get you both new clothes that are in. You both will no longer be the odd ones at school," sighed Sandy.

Paul smiled and hugged his girlfriend. This made Franley wonder something.

 _Should we not break them up and just let nature run its course? Besides, if they're not meant for each other, nature will find a way to break them up._

As if reading his mind, Candy looked at him and nodded. He nodded back.

"That's very generous of you, Sandy. Thank you," Franley thanked his enemy.

Sandy, for once, didn't roll her eyes.

"No problem. Just don't go using me for my money," she muttered under her breath.

Candy couldn't hear what she said, but she heard the sad tone in her voice.

 _There's more to this girl than just a shallow rich girl. I wonder why she is the way she is?_

Even Franley was wondering the same thing.

 _That's right. No one is ever static. Everyone is dynamic. Why didn't it dawn on me before that she's obviously troubled by something?_

Franley, deciding to be the mature Prince and bigger person/monster, he looked up at Sandy in her eyes.

"Since you're going to be with our best friend, Paul, then you're basically going to be around us a lot whether you like it or not. I'm not sure what your beef with me is, but I want you to know that if you ever need help or advice, you can always talk to me. I have been through traumatic events in the past, and can help with whatever be on your mind," offered Franley.

Sandy didn't even respond with any facial expression. She merely looked away, still expressionless.

 _Well, she isn't resisting. So I guess that means she will either come to me or decide against it quietly._

Paul raised an eyebrow at Franley.

"What traumatic events?" asked Paul.

"My dad took me to the underground for a tour months ago, and a lot went down. I would tell you guys everything, but it would take too long to explain. Considering it's almost ten now, and we have to be back home before midnight. Mom's orders," sighed Franley.

"You have your dad's powers too, right? Why not create a shortcut home at the last minute?" asked Sandy.

Franley was surprised she was even talking to him without trying to start something.

"Well, you see, I don't have complete control of my powers yet. If I tried to make a shortcut now, I could accidentally kill myself from the strain," explained Franley.

Sandy made an o shape with her mouth and looked down, feeling awkward. Franley narrowed his eyebrows at her suspiciously and ate the last of his glamburger.

"What?" asked Sandy, glaring.

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but you're being surprisingly cordial with me. I'm just not used to it yet, I suppose. Hey, please tell me. Have I ever done something wrong to you to have made you so angry with me before?" asked Franley.

Sandy's glare disappeared. She suddenly felt something she has never felt before. It made her feel awkward to be in his presence.

"N-no. You never did anything wrong. I just didn't like you for a long time because of how different you are from everyone else. I saw a weakness and I exploited it for my enjoyment. But, we all grow up, right? Besides. You're willing to let all that go. So, I will too," Sandy replied, tapping her fingers on the table.

Franley closed his eyes and nodded.

"I see. Well, I'm just glad it wasn't because I did something to you. Hopefully we can all work towards being friends with each other," responded Franley.

"I don't know about being friends. For now, let's just work on not getting on each other's nerves," glowered Sandy.

Franley chuckled a bit and shrugged his shoulders.

"I already know that friendship doesn't happen right away, nor did I expect us to become friends in just a few months. I already know you and I have to work on trusting each other first, and work on getting along in general. But hey, as long as we both put in effort, it shouldn't be a problem," Franley said.

Sandy was itching to give a relieved smile, but fought against it.

"Well, as long as you know. Good to know you have brains," said Sandy.

Candy ate the rest of her legendary hero. When she was done, Franley collected the trays with his magic, and floated them over to the top of a trash can where they would be collected from. A small part of Candy had a feeling that Sandy and Franley would distrust each other a lot for a long time before they could function as acquaintances. It's to be expected since Sandy used to bully him and he used to react back with witty remarks and pranks.

"Crap, it's past eleven now. Come on Candy. We gotta go home," said Franley.

Candy groaned.

"But I ate too much and I'm sleepy," yawned Candy.

Franley sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You don't have to walk. I'll fly us home. Do you guys want a lift back to your homes?" offered Franley.

"No thanks. I can walk her home and then find my way back to my home. Good night," smiled Paul.

Franley grasped Paul's hand firmly and nodded.

"Good night man. Be safe," said Franley.

The two stepped outside, and then Franley surrounded them both with his magic and he then lifted them both into the sky and flew home. They made it back home with ten minutes to spare. The kitchen light was still on, allowing for them to be able to see. The light in the kitchen was small, however. Frisk had only left the light above the stove top on. Franley created a small blue flame in his hand, making Candy gasp.

"Since when can you do that?" she whispered.

"It's a little new. It's a mix of my mom and dad's powers. I'm determined to see in the dark, so with the help of my dad's magic, I'm able to transfer the light that usually shines in my eyes into the palm of my hand. Neat, huh?" explained Franley in a hushed tone.

"Super neat," answered Candy as she stared at the dancing blue flame.

Being curious, she waved her hand through it. It was luke warm.

"Come on. Uncle Papyrus will be coming downstairs soon to catch Mettaton's midnight show. We should head upstairs, change into our pajamas and get to bed. We gotta be up in six hours," whispered Franley as he placed a hand on the small of Candy's back, guiding her towards the stairs.

The warmth from his hand suddenly made her think of the feeling on her lips again. Her hand reflexively went up to her mouth as they walked up the stairs and into their room.

"Franley?" asked Candy, her voice small.

After taking off his shirt, he turned around.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

Candy's cheeks reddened.

"Uhm...no. Nevermind. Forget about it, hehehe," nervously laughed Candy.

Franley had an idea of what she wanted to ask, so he just shrugged his shoulders and turned back around, stripping out of his pants. Candy didn't know why she was watching, but she felt as if she couldn't move or look away, even if she wanted to.

 _If I wanted to. So why don't I want to look away? What's wrong with me?_

Franley pulled open one of his drawers and took out a light blue matching pajama set, and slipped the articles of clothing on. When he bounced onto the bed, that's when Candy could move again.

"Don't look," she ordered.

He wanted to tease her so bad since he knows she was looking at him. He could feel her eyes on him the whole time. But he remained quiet and covered his eyes with the blanket. He could hear her dress and tights coming off. Then he heard her drawer open, and he heard her putting on a nightgown. Then he felt the end of the bed dip under her weight as she crawled up to her spot on the bed. When she got comfortable next to him, he pulled the blanket down and stared at her for a minute before turning her over to look at him. She stared back at him, her eyes wide with anticipation. She didn't fear him. Not one bit. Mostly because he was being gentle and gently stroking the side of her face like she was a porcelain doll. His eyes were half lidded, both from tiredness, and from her beauty.

 _My goodness. He is in love with me. So that means, that kiss from earlier... it was more than just him marking me!_

Her heart was pounding in her chest. He leaned down slightly, then some more, and his mouth stopped near her lips. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next. All she could do was open her mouth to draw in some air, and ended up inhaling his scent by accident. He parted his lips a bit, and moved his head to the side of her head, near her ear.

"Sweet dreams, Princess," he whispered.

He then withdrew his hand and turned over on the bed, and closed his eyes. Candy, on the other hand, was busy staring up at the ceiling, her face burning hot and her heart running a marathon without her consent. While she could hear his soft breathing, indicating he had fallen asleep, she could not fall asleep so easily, nor did she want to at that point. For she was afraid of having a dream with him in it, and was afraid she would say something in her sleep that would possibly wake him up and later tease her about it. Around one thirty in the morning, her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep, not dreaming about anything, but still feeling his lips on hers and his soft caresses, and her emotions clearly within the dreamless sleep.


	35. Post Halloween

AMS

POST HALLOWEEN

Franley could feel he was so close to mastering his powers again, and the thought of his left side becoming half skeletal excited him. He knew that form would further symbolize what his existence is for, and it will only further bring humans and monsters together. On the news, humans were already forming groups, holding up signs to fight for monster rights. This news would make him excited yet fearful, so everyday, he flew himself over to the barrier to see if humans were crowding around it or not. Then Halloween had come, and there were some humans with certain t-shirts who walked through the barrier and they went around the monster neighborhood trick or treating. Franley, Candy, Sans, and Frisk had taken it upon themselves to watch over the whole forest. Sans and Franley flew around, keeping an eye out, while Frisk and Candy climbed up a tower and used binoculars to look around. They each had carried walkie talkies so they could communicate without delay. Once all the friendly humans had waved and left the forest in peace, the royal family breathed in relief. Sans congratulated his son on using his power for such a long time without burning out. Frisk and the other monsters celebrated the promising future ahead by showering Franley and Candy with, well, candy. There was even a huge party in the center of the forest that lasted for hours. It didn't stop until late, so school was canceled the very next day.

Groaning, Franley opened his eyes. He looked at what his arm was draped over, and saw he had been spooning against Candy on their bed! Instead of letting go, he pulled her closer and inhaled her sweet scent. She smelled like vanilla and monster candy. It was intoxicating. He ran his fingers through her hair, skillfully and slowly untangling her locks. Once he finished untangling her hair, he removed the hair away from her neck and placed kisses all over her bare neck and cheek. Lastly, he tilted her sleeping face towards him and he planted his lips on hers. He made the saliva on his tongue glow with his magic, and he slid his tongue in her mouth. Though she was out cold, she moaned softly. A tent had started growing in his pants, and that's what scared him into stopping what he was doing. He looked down at her mouth, smirking at the light blue saliva trails he left in her mouth, over her lips, and on her neck. Franley took his sleeve and wiped it off. He knew she would be able to feel his lingering kisses, but he would at least clean her up. Frowning, he let go of her and walked over to the bathroom.

Candy woke up then, immediately feeling his lingering kisses on and in her mouth, and on her neck. She blushed furiously.

 _In my sleep?! B-baka!_

Waiting for him to return to the bedroom, she reached under the bed and pulled out her sack of monster candy and began chewing on them one by one until she was sure she couldn't taste her brother anymore. When she could no longer taste his tongue in her mouth, she sighed. He had tasted good. He had tasted like blue raspberries. She gasped, suddenly remembering something she had accidentally heard Frisk say to Sans.

"Sans, how do you even taste like blueberries?" Frisk had asked.

She had heard Sans chuckling.

"The same reason why you taste like raspberries," he had responded.

 _He literally is a combination! Wait, so does that mean everytime he kisses me, I taste Sans and Frisk?_

She rapidly shook her head at the thought, not wanting to explore that thought anymore.

 _Ridiculous. He is not our parents. He is their idiotic, older child._

Once the water warmed up to his liking, he clogged the drain and let the tub fill up. Franley turned off the drain once the tub was filled and he stepped in. Candy had to use the bathroom bad. She was pacing outside the bathroom door, waiting for Franley to be done. She was about to knock to tell him to hurry up, until she heard strained grunts. She wasn't sure what he was doing in there, but decided against knocking or saying anything. She hurried down to Frisk's room and knocked. The door opened a few seconds later.

"What's wrong, Candy?" yawned Frisk.

"May I use your bathroom? Franley's in the tub," asked Candy while doing a little jig.

Nodding, Frisk stepped aside to let Candy in to use her bathroom. Frisk decided to start making breakfast for everybody, so she started down the hall and stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the sounds her son was making. Raising an eyebrow, she quickly walked past and down the stairs and into the kitchen. Then she stood still in thought.

 _I guess he's already at that age, huh? But, who would have made him so...excited? Maybe he saw someone at the Halloween party last night? That could be it. I just hope whoever he likes is a nice monster girl and not a trashy monster girl._

The thought of her son bringing a modest monster girl to her and Sans filled her with determination.

Candy came out of the bathroom feeling relieved, and closed Frisk's bedroom door behind her. She was careful not to make any sounds since Sans was still asleep. Walking down the hall, she noticed the bathroom door was open now, and the sounds had stopped. Franley was standing in front of the sink and mirror, brushing his teeth.

"Why were you grunting?" asked Candy.

Franley wasn't surprised. He knew someone would hear him whether he wanted them to or not.

"I was grunting because I was scrubbing my skin really hard. I had monster candy stuck to my arms, so it kinda hurt to scrub it off," lied Franley.

"Oh," said Candy then she continued to walk downstairs, the smell of eggs and vegetables wafting through the air.

Shortly after, everyone was gathered at the dining table. Papyrus, Alphys, and Undyne were drinking coffee; Sans was drinking ketchup; and Jock was sipping Frisk's favorite tea, golden flower tea. You can probably guess what Frisk is drinking.

"What do you want to drink?" Frisk asked her kids.

"I'll have some coffee please," said Franley, surprising Frisk and Sans.

Papyrus and the others weren't so surprised. They all knew he was growing up.

"I want some of that good smelling tea," said Candy.

Frisk moved her chair back to get up, but Franley put his hand up to stop her.

"I got it, mom," offered Franley.

Raising an eyebrow, she scooted back in. He closed his eyes for a split second and they started glowing bright blue. Slightly moving his hand around, he opened the cabinet where the cups were, and brought two out. He poured coffee in the mug and added cream and sugar. He then boiled water on the stove, turned the stove off when the water was at a boil, poured some water into the other mug and added the tea to it. He then brought the cups over to them.

"Careful. It's hot. Wait about three minutes," warned Franley.

The word hot made Candy think about his kiss marks, and it took everything she had not to blush at the table. Deciding to tease her, he rubbed his foot along her leg. This brought a blush on her cheeks immediately.

"Candy? Everything okay? You look a little red," asked Frisk.

Candy pressed her lips in a straight line and slowly nodded her head up and down.

"If you're really fine, then eat your food," said Sans.

He looked over at Franley who was eating his food no problem, and his expression was showing signs of content. But nothing else to reveal her blush was his doing.

 _She probably ate too much monster candy and isn't feeling well._

Candy slowly ate her food in silence. She and Sans were the only two left at the table. Though Sans had finished his meal a while back, he stayed behind to talk to Candy once she was finished with her food. This did not sit well with Candy. She only wishes she had the power to create shortcuts so she could escape. She wanted nothing more than to be away from Sans right now. She wished Waddles was still alive or that Mabel wasn't so depressed still. She had called Mabel and Dipper a month ago to see how they were doing and to tell them of her progress with friends and family and trust. She even told them about what happened with her brother and step dad. Dipper had told her he was proud of her and that Mabel would be too if her mind was right, and he went on to tell her all that happened with Mabel's treatment. He regretfully told her that Mabel wasn't getting any better. In fact, she seemed to be getting worse.

"Hey dad?" Candy asked while collecting the last bits of her food on her spoon and putting it in her mouth.

Sans had already been keeping an eye on her. He hummed in question.

"Dipper said that Mabel is getting worse. Would it be okay if we visited her one last time before...the chance escapes us?" quietly asked Candy.

Sans wasn't expecting her to say something like that out of the blue.

"Has worrying about her made you ill?" asked Sans.

Seeing it as a golden opportunity to evade any uncomfortable questions, she nodded her head, making her frown and unease more pronounced. Sans sighed a little relieved it wasn't anything seriously major and he allowed himself to relax.

"Sure. We can visit her. Let's do that this weekend. Frisk doesn't have any conferences scheduled then since she was going to take the day off anyway to relax, and I don't have anything to do then either, plus you kids don't have school on the weekends," said Sans.

Candy smiled a little bit.

"Thank you."

The weekend came more quickly than everyone thought, but it was still painfully slow for Candy, who had been counting down the days. The royal family went and knocked on Mabel's front door of the old Mystery Shack. Candy frowned. All of the work she and Dipper had put into the home was for naught since it was falling apart again. Dipper didn't have time to keep up with the home anymore. He was too busy tending to his twin sister. His twin sister who was most likely dying of depression. Everytime he would walk into her room, pick her up and give her a bath, she would think he is Waddles and begin talking to him, telling him her plans to prank her brother, Dipper. Dipper knew it was better to play along rather than try telling her the truth again. Last time he had tried to tell her who he was, she screamed for an hour. He made oink sounds whenever she paused to listen for a response from her favorite pig. It hurt his heart that she loved the pig more than him, but there was nothing more he could do.

Dipper came and opened the door, surprised to see his family. He looked down at Candy, who looked a lot healthier and was wearing beautiful clothing.

"Thanks for coming. Come in," ushered Dipper.

"How's mom doing?" worriedly asked Frisk.

Dipper sighed and shook his head as he plopped down on the sofa tiredly.

"Not good. She thinks I'm Waddles, and if I try telling her the truth, she freaks out. I fear his death triggered her to have dementia or something. Either way, she's losing touch with reality more and more, and I fear she's nearing the end," Dipper said, closing his eyes that have dark circles underneath them.

"Man. I wish I had powers to revive the dead," Franley wished.

"Heh. You and me both, kid. I'd do anything to have that pig be alive again. It would snap her out of whatever she's in. If you all want to see her, you can go ahead. She's upstairs in Candy's old room, coloring in a coloring book I gave her. If she calls any of you anything other than who you really are, just go along with it. For my sake," pleaded Dipper.

Understanding, they let Dipper take a nap while they walked up the creaky staircase, and pushed open the cracked door. Candy's heart broke in two. Mabel's bones were visible even though she knew Dipper was feeding her normally. Her skin wasn't peachy anymore. It was a cold, gray hue, and her once smooth white hair was now ragged, dull, and she was balding. Her eyes lacked any vibrancy to them, and she shivered like she was cold despite the house being heated throughout and her being underneath the blanket. Candy and the others walked forward, each of them sitting on the couch in the room.

"Miss Mabel?" softly asked Candy.

Mabel stopped coloring, and she slowly turned to look at Candy.

"Frisk? My, you haven't changed a bit," smiled Mabel.

She was missing most of her teeth now. Candy cried. Mabel didn't recognize her, and she couldn't tell her who she really was for fear of her freaking out.

"Yep. That's right. I've come to visit you," sniffed Candy.

Frisk felt for Candy. She knows that she had formed a special bond with her mother, and that her mother confusing Candy for her was no doubt painful for the little girl.

"Why haven't you come home these past few years?" asked Mabel. "I've missed you ever since you went off to run towards the mountains."

Candy didn't know all that happened to Frisk, so she decided to stick with she did know.

"Well, I married a Prince, and now he and I rule our own Kingdom. We've been extremely busy keeping peace and order," explained Candy.

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole reason either. Candy turned to look at Frisk with a worried expression. Frisk gave her a comforting smile and gave her a thumbs up.

"Really? Why would a Prince marry a ten year old? You're much too young for that responsibility!" sharply asked Mabel.

"See, I told him that too, but he assured me that I'd be perfect for him and the Kingdom. So far, he's been right," lied Candy.

"Where is this Prince, might I ask?" asked Mabel.

Unsure of what to say, Candy fidgeted with her fingers until Franley stood and stepped forward.

"That would be me," said Franley.

Frisk and Sans looked at each other, worried.

"Oh you're just a young thing as well! Why are two children running a kingdom?" asked Mabel.

"We manage," Franley replied, his voice cracking a bit.

 _Great. My puberty decides to start now? Terrific._

"Hmm. I see. Anyway, where's Candy? Surely she would have wanted to come see me."

Candy wanted to go bury herself in the ground right then and there, and never come out. Frisk came forward.

"Hi, Miss Mabel. It's me, Candy!" cheerily said Frisk.

Frisk hadn't told a lie in so long, that the feeling felt foreign to her and she became nervous.

"You're not Candy! Candy is just a child! You're much too old to be her!" shouted Mabel.

Frisk pursed her lips and sat back down, hiding her face in her hands.

"Frisk? Where is my little Candy?" asked Mabel, her chapped, pale thin lips quivering.

"She's uh...not feeling well. She has the flu," fibbed Candy.

Mabel's face fell and somehow lost more color, and gained new wrinkles.

"The flu? Poor girl," said Mabel, tears pricking at her eyes.

They all sat in silence, unsure of what to say next. Then, Mabel yawned. Candy and Franley hugged Mabel. Frisk and Sans waved goodbye to her, and they all went downstairs where Dipper's snoring was at its loudest.

"Should we wake him?" whispered Candy, glancing up at the stairs.

"No need. Mom's about to sleep, and he's exhausted. Let's just quietly show ourselves out," whispered Frisk.

They went outside and walked through Gravity Falls. A lot of humans who were supporting monsters ambushed them to wish them all luck and to ask the royal family for autographs. When they got what they wanted, they thanked them and let them leave. They waved at the supportive humans until they disappeared from sight.


	36. The Day Before Winter Break

AMS

THE DAY BEFORE WINTER BREAK

The nights Franley and Candy spent had gotten interesting. The time spent would be filled with Franley making out with Candy and her reluctantly enjoying the sensations he made her feel. He never touched her nether regions, and she never touched his, but they relished in kissing each other and staring into each other's eyes. Every night Candy would whisper how wrong it was, and each time Franley would slightly chuckle and kiss her forehead, and they would fall asleep with him holding her in his arms, and her wrapping her arms around him, and her telling herself that he's just a loving older brother, and that everything he was doing was completely normal.

 _Besides, what would I know of what a brother is really supposed to be like? What if this is the norm here?_

In the morning, when she tried to climb over him to go to the bathroom, he would flip her over so that he was on top of her, and he would kiss her again, lift up her shirt to reveal her stomach, and kiss her belly and even blow on her belly to make her laugh. Once he got her laughing, he would let her go to the bathroom and then they would get ready for the day. He would remember how she used to be so abrasive, how she would karate chop him if he said something wrong.

 _Just look at her now. Look at how far she's come. I have a feeling she loves me as much as I love her. I can only hope. I mean, she hasn't pushed me away, and she always kisses me back and holds me back. She must be feeling the same._

Franley closed his eyes and smiled at that prospect. Candy came back in the room wearing a striped shirt and a black skirt that went down to her knees. She normally doesn't wear the striped shirts anymore. Not since Sandy had been so generous in getting Candy and Franley new clothes to wear. At first, Frisk had felt hurt and disapproved, but Sans talked to her saying that her generation isn't the same as the kids' generation and that she just needs to let go now and let the kids fit in. It honestly took a lot of brainstorming between the two siblings and a lot of loading until Sans got tired of Franley being so determined and bringing time back over and over again. But the kids decided they would wear the striped shirts on their days off when they're just lounging around the house and not doing anything.

"Your birthday is in a couple days. You'll be turning thirteen," stated Candy as she used her fingers to comb through her sopping wet hair.

"Yep. But, I feel I am so close to mastering my powers. Either today or tomorrow, it will happen," replied Franley.

Candy nodded as she remembered what Franley said will happen once he does master his powers.

"So, your left half will be a skeleton? Then how will the...you know...work?" blushed Candy.

She was asking about the kissing, but still felt nervous to actually say what they've been doing. She fears that if she says it, that it will truly be real.

"It'll still be the same, except half my mouth will feel cold. The bone feels as soft as my skin," replied Franley.

Candy nodded. She wondered if Sans felt cold to Frisk everytime they kissed.

"Well, are you ready for school? It's the last day until Winter break," asked Candy as she finished tying her hair up in a messy bun.

Standing up, he put on his winter coat and grabbed his backpack. Before they left, Franley pushed Candy against a wall, earning a small squeak from her.

"Wanna kiss my fully warm lips before they change?" he smirked.

Candy blushed and turned her head.

"Don't be stupid, brother. Besides, isn't it wrong to show me affection like that? I don't think other siblings do such things," Candy pointed out.

"Well, I wouldn't be doing this if we were related by blood. But since we were friends first, it's okay. Besides, Mom married the man who used to be her guardian. I guess you could say it's family tradition," Franley purred in Candy's ear, making her shiver.

He sucked on her ear, making her gasp a little bit, and pressed his lips on hers for a few seconds. He pulled away, pecked her on the cheek, and walked out the room feeling satisfied. Candy followed behind. She hasn't yet admitted to herself that she likes Franley more than just as an adopted brother. She has wanted a normal brother for so long, that she's trying to find brotherly love through Franley. She's not disappointed with what has been going on between her and him, but she is disappointed that he's supposed to be her brother and he isn't playing the role. Then, she thought of Kent and Paul.

 _Could I ask them both to me my brothers spiritually? Wait. I can't do that. They'll tell me Franley is my brother, and will get suspicious. I'm trapped. I don't have a brother to look up to and hang out with._

She wasn't aware, but tears were spilling out her eyes slowly. Pretty soon she was aware and wiped her face clean with her sleeve.

"Uh oh. We won't make it at this rate, even if I make us float. I was hoping on trying this out later today, but I'll give it a shot. Ready to take a shortcut?" asked Franley.

Candy looked up at him, eyes wide.

"You're gonna risk killing yourself to get to school on time?" she asked incredulously.

"I won't die. I'll have a nose bleed if anything, but that'll be it," waved off Franley.

"Oh."

Focusing on where in the school he wanted to go, a portal opened up. He grabbed Candy's hand and they walked through the portal. When they came through the other side and were in their homeroom class, the whole class, teacher, and Candy gasped. Franley was indeed bleeding through his nose, by just a little bit, but what caught everyone's attention was the fact that his whole left side was a skeleton now. Sandy was among the students. Her mouth couldn't have dropped any lower. Her jaw had gone where no jaw has ever gone before.

"F-Franley? Are you dying?" squeaked the teacher.

Franley smirked.

"No. This just means that I have finally mastered my powers, and can use them to the fullest extent of my abilities," explained Franley.

Candy was now starstruck since Franley's voice was a little deeper and had a cooling effect in the atmosphere. His voice just instantly soothed everyone in ear shot.

"Everyone! Prince Franley has finally mastered his powers! We shall celebrate after school today!" announced the teacher.

The whole class erupted in cheers. Even Sandy. It seems he was finally going to get the respect he deserves.

"Well, I would love to stay for school, but I gotta go underground to save the rest of the monsters. I'll be back, possibly in a few months. Whatever homework there will be, just mail it to my parents. See ya!" waved Franley before making a portal to Snowdin forest and stepping through.

"Uuuhhh, Candace? Will it be okay if I handed you Franley's homework? For him, it doesn't matter when they're turned in, just as long as they're turned in before Summer vacation," asked the teacher who was slightly in a daze of wonderment.

"Sure," replied Candy.

Sandy looked down at her desk and smiled.

 _He's finally being someone I can maybe respect. That's good. No one should stay childish and weird forever._

Franley walked out of the portal and found himself in Snowdin Forest where he had started seeing monsters. Deciding it would be faster if he flew around rather than walking, he flew around the forest, gathering all the monsters he saw in the area to journey to the broken barrier to live on the surface. Seeing as he is literally half human, half monster, and saying he is their Prince, they decided to listen. When he got to Snowdin Town, he found Prisk playing near the decorated tree. Smiling, he walked up to her. She stopped and looked at him.

"What kind of monster are you?" she asked curiously.

"I am half human, half skeleton monster. I am Prince Franley, Prince of all monsters. My mom is Frisk, the human who is Queen of all monsters. And my dad is Sans, King of all monsters. In case you're wondering how, the late Queen Toriel had adopted my mother long ago into the royal family," Franley introduced himself as he extended a hand.

Eyes sparkling, she took and shook his hand.

"Do you want to live on the surface where the other monsters are? Most humans are helping monsters gain rights now," asked Franley.

Prisk smiled and rapidly nodded her head. Franley took out a letter he had made days ago and handed it to Prisk.

"I'm gonna create a shortcut for you to go through. It will take you directly in front of the King and Queen. Hand them that letter and they will understand everything. I'm going to be sending the other monsters to the surface through my shortcuts from now on. It'll be safer that way," said Franley.

A portal appeared and Prisk walked through it and was face to face with the King and Queen. Flying around Snowdin, Franley rounded up all the other residents, explained to them who he was and what was going on and why the surface is safe, he had the monsters stand in a single file line and had them walk through his shortcut. While holding the portal open, he ripped the end of his sleeve off and pressed it to his bleeding nose. Once all the monsters in Snowdin successfully made it to the surface, Franley rushed into the nearest house and ate some magical food to restore his stamina and stop the bleeding. He stocked up on a few things and then went on to Waterfall. For some reason,Waterfall was almost completely deserted since not a lot of monsters lived there. Nonetheless, he checked every nook and cranny. He found a few Temmies still in Temmie Village and sent them to the surface.

"So our son is just short cutting the monsters underground to up here?" asked Frisk.

"Yeah. He told me about his physical change when he masters his powers, but I don't think he told me about him saving the other monsters. At least I don't think so. I can't remember," replied Candy.

Sans was proud his son finally mastered his powers, but he started to wonder how Franley even convinced all these monsters to even come to the surface. It's not like the mean humans stopped existing, and that was their main reason for staying underground when he and Frisk went around telling everyone they were free. So how? He looked at Candy who was introducing herself to Prisk. The two seemed to hit it off as they were now talking about the new fashion trends on the surface, the nearby human town and how they're open to monsters now, the school building, and so much more. Sans hated to interrupt during these moments where two people just sync well with each other, but he needed to know how his son was doing this, and if Candy held the answers, then he wants them. He stepped forward and cleared his throat, catching the two young ladies' attentions.

"May I speak to my daughter, Candy, alone for a moment?" politely asked Sans.

Prisk gasped.

"You're King Sans?! And this human Candy is your daughter?! Wait. Is she also half monster then, or is she only full human, on Queen Frisk's side?" asked Prisk.

"No no, I'm their adopted daughter," beamed Candy.

Prisk made an o with her mouth and nodded, then decided to walk around outside and introduce herself to the other monsters and to try and look for her parents.

"All of these monsters, Frisk and I long ago tried to convince them to leave the underground with us, but they all refused because of their main fear being of the mean humans that dwell on the surface. So tell me, how is my son convincing the monsters less than a day that he goes there?" asked Sans.

Candy had an idea of how. She took a deep breath.

 _He's going to find out one day when Franley returns. Oh, but Franley wants to see his parent's reactions for themselves! Okay then, just gotta play dumb until he gets back._

"I honestly don't know. We went to school together and suddenly announced he mastered his powers, and then left for the underground through a shortcut portal. Next thing I knew is monsters started appearing. All I know is if this keeps up, we'll run out of forest and have to somehow expand," replied Candy.

Frisk then came forward with her thinking face on.

"Yes, you're right. All our multistory homes are already filled up, so there is no where we can put them at this rate. You know what? Gravity Falls is finally open to monsters. Perhaps we can buy their forests over there and that can be another home to the monsters? And plus, they wouldn't even have to put up any barrier because that forest is secluded from most of the world. I'll talk to the Mayor about it," offered Frisk.

Candy thought about how rude that Mayor was, and remembered how the people fighting for monster rights were getting glares from the Mayor. The Mayor only agreed to give monsters rights in Gravity Falls because he wants to be elected again and the whole town was rooting for monster rights.

"Actually, you should let Franley do that. If the Mayor gives him a hard time, he has the power to change fate. Plus, he has a way with words now. He speaks like an actual Prince," insisted Candy.

"Yeah he sure does! When he came to Snowdin to talk to us, he held an authoritative air about him, and his voice is deep and just makes you want to melt into his words. Even though his speaking relaxes you, it commands you to listen and pay attention," swooned Prisk.

Sans and Frisk raised their eyebrows in question.

"His voice is deep and relaxing? Since when? His voice has always been normal for a preteen boy," asked Frisk.

Candy pretended to look confused as well. It wasn't as convincing as Sans and Frisk's looks, but it was close enough to where they didn't question her.

By this time, Franley was getting the rest of Hotland out and into the surface. Quickly scanning the remaining areas, only to find no one else, Franley went back to the surface himself. He didn't think he would get all this done in less than one day. Frisk, Sans, Candy, Prisk, and the rest of the household could hear cheers erupting from outside.

"I think he's back. Come on!" shouted Frisk as she grabbed Candy and Sans.

The whole house went outside to see a far away figure floating in the air, waving at everyone. When he landed in front of his family, they all gasped in shock. Frisk ran up to him, turning his face side to side and back and forth.

"What happened to you?" shakily breathed out Frisk in her state of mild panic and shock.

Undyne got a spear ready.

"Did someone do this to you?" she asked seriously.

For once, Franley saw Papyrus with a dangerous expression on his face. He too thought someone hurt him. Alphys took out an invention that looked dangerous. Sans, however, had no clue what to think.

"No one did this to me. I did this to myself really-"

"WHAT?! SELF HARM?!" Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and Jock yelled at the same time.

Franley chuckled and shook his head no. Gently pulling his mother's hands away from his face, he walked forward.

"This happened to me before, in a previous timeline. This is proof of me mastering my powers. The magic is infused completely with my human soul. You all know how my soul used to be red with an outline around it?"

They all nodded.

"Look at my soul now," smiled Franley.

He cupped his hands in front of his chest, closed his eyes, and summoned his own soul. Alphys, big eyed, came running forward to examine it.

"It's purple! But, it's not the typical purple human soul," declared Alphys.

Franley nodded.

"Yep. There's no outline. My once red soul fused with the magic outline, and became purple. It's a perfect mix of my dad and my mom after all. Blue and red make purple. If you look closely, you can see sparks of blue energy inside it," said Franley.

He brought his soul towards everyone where they can see clearly. They were all in awe as they chattered excitedly and pointed at the soul. Franley brought his soul back inside of him.

"I know that this will take some time getting used to, but in time, you will all recognize me perfectly. Besides, I was never meant to always look just human. I'm half monster for crying out loud. This is normal," said Franley.

They all agreed with him. Sans and Frisk brought Franley in to discuss their plan for the new monsters. After they told him everything, Franley was quiet for a bit.

"I think it would be best if I talked to the Mayor. Because a mere human nor a monster will get through to him. He's going to need the best of both worlds to consider something like this. But, I want Candy and Prisk to come with me. I can see that they have become good friends already. This will be further proof that humans and monsters can get along if they just try. We should all go immediately while the sun is still out," said Franley.

He made a shortcut. Grabbing Candy's hand, she grabbed Prisk's hand, and they all walked through.

"I'm so proud of him. I knew he was going to do something great one day, but I never thought it would be so soon," said Papyrus.

Sans agreed with a grunt.

"The day before Winter vacation was the perfect time. Because now, with Franley's magic help and mine, we can build them apartment buildings and a school building just like ours. I don't know how big that forest is, but if it's bigger than ours, then they will have much more space for fun things. But if it's smaller, then they will have to make do with what they got. Plus, they got Gravity Falls to wander around as well. If they want to try human food, they can. If they want human friends, they can. If they want to marry a human, they can," added Sans.

"Hopefully these humans aren't too boneheaded," smirked Frisk.

Sans snorted while Papyrus groaned.

And so the Mayor reluctantly agreed to Franley, Candy, and Prisk. Though it seemed as though the Mayor wasn't as against monsters as he used to be, but he still had some doubts. Those doubts would be cured in time.

"How long until the forest is cleared?" asked Franley.

"My construction crews don't do construction in the middle of the Winter. You and your monsters are magic aren't ya? Well then, time to put it to work!" grunted the Mayor as he shivered and walked back to his office.

"Oh, it's a bit of a walk back there. Want me to get you there faster?" asked Franley.

"Sure. I did do a lot for you. It's only fair, I suppose," answered the Mayor.

Using his mastered magic, he transported the Mayor back to his office.

"Before I go, I just want to thank you for giving the monsters a chance. Truth be told, there are more nice monsters than there are nice humans," said Franley.

The Mayor didn't say anything or make any sounds. All he did was sit down behind his desk and began filling out paperwork. Franley left without saying another word.

"You're welcome, kid," murmured the Mayor after Franley left.


	37. Moving Out

AMS

MOVING OUT

Once the royal household finished tearing down trees and split the wood for firewood for the people of Gravity Falls and had a lot of monsters move there, human and monster relationships began to develop and progress, much to Franley and Frisk's delight. The next three years went smoothly with Franley and Candy getting closer in their relationship, and with Franley courting Prisk. Franley just had his sixteenth birthday, and is now considered a young adult man. Candy is thirteen and Prisk is fourteen. Franley and his parents were shocked with how fast Candy developed in mind and in body. Candy went from being hot headed with slight curves to a level headed passionate young lady with D cup breasts and hips for days. Frisk was worried for her because of how well developed she is, so she threw away Candy's "revealing" outfits and gave her royal robes to wear. Candy wears them for Frisk's sake. She doesn't want to give the Queen a heart attack. Sans was proud of Candy for becoming so respectable and level headed, and he tells her all the time. Prisk didn't change much, except for growing B cup breasts and her hips widened a bit. But to Franley, she was still as cute as ever. Her dark pink hair flowed down to her thighs, and when the wind blew it, he could smell the product she used to clean her hair. At first he was worried about Prisk or Candy being jealous of having to share him, but when he talked to them both in one room together, the two girls looked at each other excitedly and high fived each other.

"Candy is my best friend! If I have to share you, I would want it to be her!" squealed Prisk.

"Ditto for my girl, Prisk!" added Candy enthusiastically.

The two girls had tackled him in a hug, making him chuckle fondly and hold both of them back.

"We can come out with me and Prisk dating, but Candy...because you're my adopted sister, we have to wait until you turn eighteen. If anyone finds out, it can cause a lot of problems," said Franley.

Prisk had turned her head to look at Candy with a worried expression.

"It's up to you, Candy. If you want me to wait and come out at the same time, we can do that just to be fair," offered Prisk.

Candy smiled and shook her head.

"I know you love him as much as I do. You must be itching to come out with it. Because we share him, I want you to be happy. You go ahead and announce it. I can pretend he's announcing me as well," Candy said, smiling happily.

When he and Prisk had come out to the public of humans and monsters in Gravity Falls, cheers erupted and a party ensued until the sun set on the horizon. Half the monsters in the party and his mom had waved goodbye to everyone and headed back home. He could hear his dad say how he never gets tired of seeing the sun set, nor does he tire of seeing it rise. Franley's three uncles had come up to him and told him congratulations before they went away as well.

"I want to move out and buy the old Mystery Shack. Of course, my girlfriend Prisk will be staying with me, but I also want my sister to live with us as well. The three of us can show other humans and monsters that unity is possible," Franley said to his parents.

Frisk looked vibrant as ever, even though she had two gray streaks in her hair, one on each side as her hair was pulled up into a tight, neat bun. She had crows feet now as well. His dad had some wrinkles on his face. Nothing major. Just some lines by his eyes and his mouth. Other than that, they were still a picture of health. Franley smiled as he saw how after all these years, his parents still held hands while just sitting next to each other. He can only hope that years down the road, while his children run around further changing the world for the better, he can sit down on the couch with Candy and Prisk and hold their hands by the fireplace.

Frisk smiled a small tight smile and sighed.

"Well, you are a young adult man now, so I can't really tell you not to. However, once you move out, you will be responsible for paying for your own schooling until you graduate. I will continue to pay for Candy's schooling, so don't worry about that. Plus, out there, petals are not currency. You will have to find a job to make the human's currency. That means dollar bills and coins. I know I've taught you about that currency and how to count it before. Do you think you're really ready for this, though?" asked Frisk.

"As long as I stay determined, I can do this," determinedly said Franley.

Frisk nodded like she knew he was going to say something like that. She and Sans pulled Franley in for a long hug, Frisk rubbing his white hair, and Sans rubbing his upper back in a soothing manner.

"I know we're old farts now, but come by sometime to visit us. Okay?" said Sans.

Franley laughed and wiped a tear that spilled from his left eye.

"We'll come visit sometime. I promise," promised Franley.

Candy, Franley, and Prisk met up together at Gravity Falls' diner and ate lunch together.

"So, are we moving into one of the apartments in the forest here?" asked Prisk.

Franley took another bite of his taco salad before answering.

"Nope. We're gonna buy the Mystery Shack, fix it up, and reopen business there to make money to pay the bills. Gravity Falls is welcoming the weird back and with much more gusto than ever. The best way to make money is through the Mystery Shack," explained Franley after wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Candy looked up, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk who's storing nuts for the Winter. She swallowed her food and took a deep breath.

"That's a great idea and all, but what if the soul of Miss Mabel and Mister Dipper haunt it now?" asked Candy.

Prisk and Franley smiled at the same time.

"Then that just means we will get more business! Mabel and Dipper used to love running the Mystery Shack with their Great Uncle Stan when they were young. If anything, they will want to help us run it," explained Franley.

Prisk squealed and shook her fists against her chest with excitement which caused her small mounds to bounce a little bit, bringing a blush to Franley's face.

"We can totally do this! By the way, Franley, what do you say that once we graduate, we start having children?" asked Prisk, her eyes shining.

Candy looked at Franley as well, her eyes begging him to say yes. Even though they won't be her own kids, she is all for Prisk having children with him since she knows the children will be her niece and nephews (technically). Franley coughed and cleared his throat before folding his hands together on the table, glancing between the two young women.

"We will have to see. It all depends on what happens right after graduation," he replied quietly.

The two girls rolled their eyes and whispered to each other to think of a plan to definitely get him on board. During their whispering, Franley started to sweat, feeling nervous about what they could be talking about. He stopped breathing the moment they abruptly stopped whispering and nodded at each other, huge smiles plastered on their faces. Then they turned to him.

"What if we both take care of you?" they asked in unison.

Franley's blush only got worse as his head darted around the diner to see if anyone had been listening to them or paying attention, but was relieved when everyone else was off in their own little world.

"We really ought to save these conversations for inside our own home," he thought to himself.

He turned back to look at the two girls who were winking at him and wagging their eyebrows. The images flashed in his mind, of him making out with Candy while Prisk was on top, and a tent began to form in his pants, further causing him to blush. The next thing that came out of his mouth sounded strained.

"Like I said! We'll see."

By the tone of his voice, the girls knew they had won him over as they pumped a fist in the air and hugged each other. Franley nearly face palmed. What had he gotten himself into with these young ladies? A lifetime of adventure is what!

"I'm all done with my food. Now, let's go fix up the Mystery Shack!" exclaimed Candy.

Franley paid the waiter with what little money Candy had given him from the job she used to have. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Then, while the two girls held hands and skipped forward, giggling, Franley walked behind them, admiring them both for their personality and bodies. His member twitched in his pants as his eyes roamed to their asses, causing him to curse under his breath. He floated ahead of them.

"Hey! No fair!" called Prisk.

"Sorry! I just really have to pee!" called Franley.

"Oh well. Come on. Let's continue skipping and fantasizing about him," winked Prisk.

The girls finally made it to the Mystery Shack that looked close to falling apart at the next gust of wind.

"I mean I'm not les or anything, but even with your clothes on, I can tell you've got a banging body. Whoa," said Prisk, causing Candy to stop and look at the building.

Candy wanted to cry. Memories of getting to know Mabel and Dipper and their friends flashed in her mind's eye, and then the scene of Mabel confusing her with Frisk while she was on her death bed. She only hoped Mabel and Dipper's ghosts were around, so she could live with them again. Then, when she stepped inside, Candy could see Dipper on the couch, relaxing. He looked like he was in his twenties. Candy could definitely see where Frisk got some of her features from.

"Uh Candy? Who is that?" whispered Prisk.

"That's Frisk's uncle, Dipper. That's his ghost. Come on, I want you to meet him," smiled Candy as she dragged Prisk over to him.

"Hi, Dipper!" waved Candy.

Dipper looked up and blushed.

"Uh, hello Miss. Who are you?" he asked.

"It's me, Candy!" she huffed, putting her hands on her wide hips and puffing out her chest.

The blush on Dipper grew more. He felt embarrassed for finding her so attractive, and for not recognizing her. Prisk giggled.

"You shouldn't puff out your chest, honey. Your breasts are big enough without the extra," giggled Prisk.

Now it was Candy's turn to blush as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Candy. It's great to see you! You've grown into quite the young woman. How old are you now? Seventeen?" he asked.

"Actually I'm only thirteen," blinked Candy before turning to Prisk. "Do I really look that old?"

Prisk shrugged. "I think it's your body that screams seventeen."

Dipper blinked several times.

 _That little nine year old developed THAT MUCH in just a few years?_

Prisk smiled and waved at him.

"I'm Prisk! I'm a monster, tee hee. I'm also dating Franley. Speaking of, have you seen him?"

"He's in the bathroom, taking care of himself," casually said Dipper.

Candy and Prisk's mouths flung open and they gaped at each other. Dipper just found that amusing and laughed.

"No offense, but I don't see how he could have gotten so aroused by your young looking body. I know my nephew. His taste in women has always been big boobs and butt. I don't mean to alarm you girls, but I think he likes Candy a little too well," warned Dipper.

The girls snickered.

"Don't tell anyone else, but Franley is going to marry the both of us once she turns eighteen," said Prisk, still snickering.

Dipper's eyes got wide and his jaw dropped to the floor. Literally.

"Such a lucky boy. I only wish I could have had two husbands instead of one!"

Candy gasped happily as twenty year old looking Mabel flew in, a young Waddles following by her.

"Miss Mabel! I'm so happy to see you!" cried Candy.

"It's good to see you too! And it's nice to meet you, pink lady."

"Prisk," nodded Prisk, smiling at the ghost.

"As you know by now, I'm Mabel Pines, and this is my twin brother, Dipper Pines. Our Grunkle Stan didn't die in this house, nor did our Grunkle Ford, so their ghosts don't haunt this house with us," said Mabel.

"Where did they die?" asked Franley, coming out of the bathroom.

Mabel sighed sadly and cried ghost tears.

"No one knows. You see, after they gave management over to Soos, they left and went on their long awaited boat ride travel across the world. No one has ever seen them since. Apparently, they were last seen heading towards Atlantic Ocean, and then it's like they disappeared along with the boat. Everyone looked around there. There was no boat remains, nor were there any bodies. Dipper and I stopped looking and decided to move on with our lives. I mean, what else could we do? We tried everything," explained Mabel, holding onto Waddles.

There was a moment of silence for the twin Grunkles.

"Well, we have a proposition for you three," said Franley after the minute of silence.

"Oh? What is it?" asked Dipper.

"The three of us want to live here, and reopen the Mystery Shack. Gravity Falls welcomes the weird again, so...will you run the shop with us?" asked Franley.

Mabel and Dipper gasped and both of their faces lit up at once as they both flew closer into Franley's face.

"We'd love to!" they yelled in unison.


	38. Beginning Of Something Beautiful

AMS

IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL

Franley, Prisk, Candy, Mabel, and Dipper made the Mystery Shack successful again and they were making more money Stan had ever hoped to make in his lifetime. When Candy turned eighteen, they announced to everyone that Franley would be marrying her as well as Prisk. It had driven a slight wedge between everyone at first, given how everyone knew about them being adopted siblings. But once Frisk and Sans told everyone about their past relationship, they were more accepting of Franley, Candy, and Prisk all being one big family. The wedding was something to behold. Franley was waiting for his brides down the aisle in a nice black suit with a purple flower on his chest. Candy and Prisk walked down the aisle arm in arm, smiling and waving at everybody. Frisk cried like a baby, proud of what her son had accomplished. Sans smiled and constantly told himself to keep an open mind throughout the whole thing. Sans always figured his son would go for Candy when they first got her. But then he was thrown for a loop when Franley said he was dating Prisk. Here he was, being thrown for another, bigger loop. Sans shook his head, chuckling. It felt like he could never keep up. There was only one week available for the honeymoon. On that honeymoon, Franley was busy trying to plant his seed in both women. He felt like he would be unable to keep up with these girls. Every night after their session, he would be covered in sweat, breathing hard. The girls would then drag him into the large tub. Candy and Prisk rock paper scissored to find out who was washing what side. Candy got to scrub Franley's front, while Prisk got his back side. Once they were done cleaning him, Franley and Prisk would wash Candy, then Candy and Franley bathed Prisk. Once they were all done scrubbing, they would all rinse off, dry off, then hop into the bed with Franley in the middle of the two women. His arms reached under the girls' heads as the two girls wrapped an arm over his middle. Candy and Prisk's hands would meet, so they would lace their fingers together, smiling warmly at each other.

Then they day came when Prisk came forward with a positive pregnancy test. She was hyper from the excitement, and Franley was constantly telling her to take it easy. He then catered to her every need, despite her saying she can do things herself. Candy got annoyed since she hadn't yet found out she was pregnant, and she was left to her own devices. Mabel and Dipper would keep her company, hoping she would forget about her loneliness, but enough was enough in her mind. She cornered him in the kitchen, brows furrowed in anger and annoyance. Franley looked beat, but she didn't care. She would have been angry at Prisk if Prisk was the one making him do this, but she wasn't. This was Franley going overboard for no reason, and it needed to stop.

"You've been so busy taking care of Prisk, that you're completely neglecting my emotional needs! I'm your wife too, Franley. Now, when I become pregnant, I don't want you to go overboard for me either and neglect Prisk's emotional needs. You've been so good at sharing the love. Why does her being pregnant change all that? We're all in this together! If you need help taking care of her, let me help so I'm not left out," Candy shouted at him while poking him hard in the chest.

Franley felt the guilt rush to him, and it was unbearable for a moment. He sobbed and brought Candy in for a big hug, whispering sorry in her ear over and over. Prisk then waddled into the kitchen, a hand over her swollen belly. Mabel had said she was going to have twins based on how big she is already in just her seventh month. They all hugged each other. During Prisk's eighth month was when Candy found out she was pregnant as well, causing Prisk and Franley to take her into a hug.

Not only will they be having hybrid children, but some humans had married some monsters and have been getting pregnant human and monster women left and right. This news filled Franley with so much joy. Candy's mother found her way to where she is in Gravity Falls. Franley rushed by her side as well as Prisk, ready to protect Candy at all cost. But to all their surprise, her mother dropped to her knees and begged for Candy's forgiveness. Candy's response was the cold shoulder, but her mother vowed to never give up on her. The next ten years were peaceful as well as eventful. Franley now has a total of eight children. Four from Prisk with two being twins, the other four from Candy. Franley had three daughters and five sons and their names are Samantha, Lily, Frisk II, Pete, Franley Jr., Sans II, Xander, and Joseph. Prisk and Candy would alternate on who does what chore around the house while Franley juggled fatherhood and ruling a kingdom. And when the women needed a break from the kids, they hired two babysitters to look after their kids while they had a girls day together. When Franley wasn't busy, they would all go on a big date with each other. When the kids got a little older, they began helping with the Mystery Shack just like how Mabel and Dipper used to. Mabel, Dipper, and Waddles had long since gone off to sleep in peace.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack!" yelled the kids in unison.

The tourists would chuckle at the cuteness and browse the displays while Candy manned the cash register and Prisk managed the tours. Sometimes, in the group of people, Frisk, Sans, and the others would be in the group.

"Thanks for coming, guys!" Candy would say, smiling at everybody.

Candy and Franley's royal family would smile and nod back, and then make room for Kent, Paul, and Sandy to come through.

"Oh wow! You guys hardly ever have the time to come over. Just like Franley hardly has time for anything anymore," Prisk would say.

"It's one of the perks of being an adult and being important," Kent would respond, smirking.

The old friends would hang out for as long as they could before everyone had to leave before it got too dark. Now, with their eldest child being sixteen and being a big help ruling the kingdom, Franley had more time to spend with his girls and younger children. He was able to be home four days a week.

"Geez. Dad made being a King look so easy," Franley sighed, taking off his clothes and slipping into his pajamas.

Candy and Prisk were on their sides, reading cheesy love novels while sipping tea. They were both wearing the nightgowns Franley had bought for them. He crawled in the middle of the bed, and the girls sat their books down, both holding him close. He held them back. Franley sighed, contented.

"I can't believe how far we've come. Are we really nearing the end of our journey?" quietly asked Candy.

"I don't think so," quietly replied Prisk, smiling.

Franley smoothed the hair on their heads, his eyes closed, and his mouth smiling.

"Exactly. We're no where near the end. This is just the beginning of something beautiful," Franley added, and then yawning.

The girls nodded and yawned again. The kids were out like a light, while their eldest was now living in a dorm with their buddy. The three of them haven't felt this at peace in a long time, and it was almost nerve wracking. Almost.

"The end."

The whole class of third graders groaned.

"Miss Petunia! I don't want the story to be over! More!" demanded Sylvia, granddaughter of Paul and Sandy.

The human teacher chuckled at the young monster girl.

"Of course the story didn't really end there, young Sylvia. But, this book is already a lot of pages. King Franley figured it would have to be cut off at some point, so he cut it off there," smiled Miss Petunia. "Alright everyone. I want you all to go over your study guides for next week's test on the former King's auto biography. Be safe getting home!"


End file.
